Tremble Mortal
by writerzero
Summary: Beast Boy has a crush on Raven, who sees him as nothing more than a cherished younger brother. As their lives progress will his crush fade? Or will Raven start to see him as more? As events proceed we will discover what Beast Boy's first shape was, and how he gained it. BBxR.
1. Chapter 1

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes: Some themes will be adult in nature, though I don't plan to write anything to explicit.  
_

_Edited to fix a major typo._

_Time: A few months after 'Things Change.' Excludes 'Trouble in Tokyo.'_

* * *

_**Cinderblock,... Starfire Suggests a Game,... A Plan Backfires,... Happy Birthday,...**_

Fighting villains wasn't an everyday event for the Teen Titans. The jails did usually managed to hold the various criminals for a few weeks, or even sometimes a month, so on the one day of the year when Beast Boy asked their leader, Boy Wonder, for the day off he usually got it. Unfortunately for him this time around several villains were on the loose, and he'd been denied.

Cinderblock, composed of a huge slab of nearly indestructible concrete, wasn't big on talking. On the other hand his fists were more than able to compensate for that deficiency. Said implements of lethal destruction impacted with a certain cybernetic teen's titanium armor, plainly sending the message 'get lost.' Cyborg went flying, doing serious damage to a brick wall ten feet from where he'd been standing.

"Come on, Beast Boy. Stop playing around." The battered Titan loudly grumbled as he stood, letting a few shattered bricks fall to the ground.

The shape shifter just nodded, and changed into an elephant. His charge didn't do much damage to the rampaging villain, but it did serve the purpose to making him stumble. For a few brief seconds the nearly mindless foe was off-balance, and easy prey for the other Titans.

No longer needing to worry about an attack from their almost unstoppable opponent Cyborg lifted his sonic cannon and fired two shots. Starfire, a little bruised from having been struck with a thrown car, paused to toss down starbolt after starbolt. Robin grabbed several explosive discs from a satchel on his belt and let fly with them. Raven seeming stood on the air, and rained down blasts of dark magic.

The concrete slab shook off the attack, and reached for another car. This one struck the orange-skinned alien as well as she paused too long in her own assault. For all her strength and resilience it left marks on her hands as she raised them to block the heavy projectile. It sent her hurtling backwards for a dozen feet before she managed to stop herself. She grinned determinedly, and raised her hands as she readied herself to throw more starbolts.

"Beast Boy." Their leader growled, as he took a worried glance at Starfire. "Stop messing around."

The shape shifter raced at the villain again with a lumbering gait, smashing his head into what was for all intents and purposes a concrete wall. A sharp pain shot down from his skull and reached all the way to the middle of his back, but this time the charge actually knocked his foe off his feet. The green-skinned Titan stumbled back as the impact caused him to revert to his human form, and then rolled away as several explosive discs missed him by no more than two feet.

The other Titans stuck at the temporarily helpless foe. Beneath the onslaught the concrete slab shuddered, but still regained his footing; it reached for another weapon This time it was a small truck that was sent hurtling into the air, directly at a blue-clad girl. Focusing, she raised a black shield that blocked the attack, though the shock of the impact made her flinch. "Beast Boy." She intoned without anger. She tossed a worried glance his way, having noted that the shape shifter wasn't quite himself.

Momentarily dazed from the pain running from his head and down through his spine, the green Titan struggled to stand. A few seconds later he was an elephant once again. Ramming the stubborn foe caused more agony, but the mountain of concrete stumbled and crashed to the ground a second time.

Starfire, with a concerned look at the shape shifter, raced to point-blank range of Cinderblock and rained down starbolts, obviously trying to do as much damage as she could despite the risk. Raven moved to a position directly over the massive villain and also stuck from a short distance, standing side-by-side with the orange-skinned alien. Cyborg's cannon roared twice more, while several discs soared in with devastating affect.

The shape shifter, once again in his human form, rolled away from the series of explosions striking the struggling pile of concrete. He was relieved when the villain gave up the fight and remained motionless. Reaching up, he felt his head. _No concussion. _He decided. _But it's going to hurt for a while._

"What were you thinking?" Robin demanded, glaring at Beast Boy. The leader's incensed expression faded only for the brief glance he took towards Starfire and her bruises; then he turned his wrathful gaze back to the shape shifter.

"Friend Beast Boy did nothing wrong." Starfire spoke, settling to the ground beside the two. "I was over confident and did not evade as I should have."

"That was his job." Boy Wonder fumed. "To keep Cinderblock occupied so we could focus on attacking. If he'd done that we wouldn't have needed to dodge."

"You are being unfair. He did the best he could." She replied.

"No he didn't. He's done better before, which means this time he wasn't up to par." Robin growled.

The orange-skinned alien frowned. "I am a warrior." She firmly stated, eyes blazing at Boy Wonder. "I know the risks of battle. Do not so belittle me as to think I need you to become overprotective whenever I receive a minor scratch."

"This isn't about you." Robin tried to deny the blazingly obvious reason behind his rage.

"Hrmph." Starfire replied. "It is beneath a true leader to lie."

"Maybe someone should call the police to take Cinderblock away?" Raven intoned. "Unless you want to fight him again." She added impassively.

With a last stare at the green shape shifter, Boy Wonder pulled out his communicator and started making the arrangements.

Beast Boy rubbed his head one last time and sighed. _No reason to take it personally. _The green-skinned Titan decided. _He often gets like that with Starfire. Never allowing her in close, yet always freaking out when she's in danger. Basic psychological response in a lot of animals. _He paused. _Well except for the never allowing her close part. That makes no sense._ Standing, he walked a short distance away from the others and waited for the authorities to arrive.

Raven lifted her hood as her violet eyes followed the shape shifter. _Good thing he rolls with the punches so easily. _She mused impassively. _Still, there's something off about him today. And from the way he's rubbing his head I would say he's the one who got hurt the most._

He didn't raise his head as the blue-clad girl approached him, nor flinch when her cold hand rose to touch his head and traced the line of agony that coursed down his back. For a second he was briefly chilled, and then the pain faded to just a memory. "Thanks." He intoned, trying to smile.

"No problem." She intoned back with the tiniest hint of a frown. _Something is definitely not right. _A quick glance around told her Robin was okay; Cinderblock hadn't tossed anything at him. Cyborg's damage was mostly scratches to his titanium armor, which she could do nothing about. Starfire, despite having been hit by two tossed cars, had only scratches and bruises which were already healing.

"You okay?" She asked apathetically.

"I'm fine." Beast Boy replied, still staring downward.

Raven nodded, and backed off. The shape shifter had a sixth sense when it came to her moods, knowing when she wanted to be left alone, and when she didn't despite her often sarcastic attitude. Right now she could tell he was upset, though not over Robin; he'd been like this before the fight began. Unfortunately, she still didn't know if he wanted to be left alone or not. With a slight frown she stood a few feet away; far enough to give him some personal space, yet close enough so he would know she was there if he needed her.

With a sigh the shape shifter looked up. "Am I the only one who's wondering how someone like Cinderblock managed to escape? He didn't do it without help, and the one most likely to have broken him out is our favorite villain of the day."

"Slade." The violet-eyed girl intoned. Others might've broken the massive thug free, but only one person made regular use of the dull-witted criminal.

* * *

Several hours later, still forbidden to leave due to other potential threats running free in the city, Beast Boy jabbed at buttons on a video game controller. His avatar on the huge display several feet away was taking a severe beating. The robotic avatar of his cybernetic opponent launched mercilessly brutal attacks one after the other, driving through the defenses of a bleeding giant fox equipped in a futuristic looking battle suit. A final blow sent the poor creature to whatever destiny awaited it in its video game afterlife.

"Man, that's the sixth time I've slaughtered you." Cyborg gloated, taking a quick look at his opponent.

"Guess you're just on the top of your game today." Beast Boy replied, not caring. He selected 'yes' from the menu display, and started another game.

Raven looked at the shape shifter from where she was curled up on a couch reading a book. _No blaming the controller? Or calling him a cheater? _She mused, still sensing the sadness inside of her green-skinned friend. Several seconds later she returned to her book; written in a very old form of latin it was taking some effort to decipher. Once the chatter of the two dueling males would've driven her crazy, but now it usually made her feel like she was home. In fact, it was the lack of remarks from Beast Boy that was bothering her, sending a clear message that something was wrong; she just didn't know what.

Starfire bounced into the room. "Glorious day my good friends." She bubbled enthusiastically. "I have been on the computer studying your strange earth customs."

Everyone in the room froze, holding their breath. When the orange-skinned alien spoke of earth customs things didn't always go well; usually no better than when she spoke of Tamaranean customs or food.

"What is this spinning of the bottle I have just read about." She asked, voice still cheerful. "The game sounds most interesting."

It took Raven and Beast Boy several second to figure what game the orange-skinned alien was talking about. Cyborg seemed to know right away.

"Several people sit in a circle." The cybernetic teen explained. "They spin a bottle, and depending on the rules the spinner has to kiss the person it points to."

"Oh." Starfire seemed lost in thought for a second. The pause did nothing to calm anyone down. "Can we play?" She asked hopefully with her voice bright and cheerful, beaming a hopeful smile at everyone.

"No." Robin stated emphatically. He'd been sitting down studying police reports on how Cinderblock had broken out of jail. That Slade might be involved had him obsessed again, but Starfire suggesting such a game was more than enough to draw his attention.

"Please." The alien exclaimed. She moved with a sudden burst of speed, and wrapped her arms around Raven. "Would it not be fun, friend Raven?" She squealed.

"No." Came the definite reply that was too stunned to be sarcastic. _As if I could play such a stupid game without blowing up the tower. _The half demon told herself with some anger.

"It could be fun." Cyborg replied with a grin, staring at Robin.

"No." Boy Wonder growled.

Starfire turned to look at Beast Boy. "Wouldn't it be fun?" She appealed to him.

He shrugged. "Maybe." _Kissing her would be fun if it didn't mean getting Robin furious at me. As in killing mad. _He silently mused. _On the other hand if Raven played any price might be worth it. _He couldn't resist a glance at the violet-eyed girl out of the corner of his eye.

"Three to two." The jubilant redheaded girl exclaimed. She flew into the kitchen area and returned with a bottle. Sitting on the floor she looked expectantly around.

"No. We are not playing spin the bottle." Robin stated forcefully.

"I'm in." Cyborg said, sitting down across from the girl. He was looking at their leader, obviously just teasing him.

"More would be fun, but two is enough." The orange-skinned alien paused. "I think." She looked up at Beast Boy.

"I'm not sure it's such a goo..." He felt super-strong hands grab him by the shoulders and dump him beside Cyborg.

"That's three." Starfire exclaimed, turning to look at Raven.

"No." There was a hint of sadness in the reply. _Normal teens do play such games. _The half demon mused, frowning slightly. _My emotions are under control. It's not like when I first came here. I don't break stuff anymore. At least not as often. And it's not like I'm interested in any of them. It would be platonic. That would keep the emotional aspect from overwhelming me._ She gulped as inside she heard a chorus of voices urging her on. Brave and Affection were all for it, it seemed. Happy was beyond enthusiastic. Even Timid was pondering on the question, clearly wanting to play but afraid. Knowledge was curious. Rage was just shocked at the concept, but didn't seem opposed. Usually she needed to meditate, or be in Nevermore, to hear her emoticlones so clearly, but at the moment they were shouting their opinions at her.

"Not a real game." She found herself suggesting. "How about we substitute a peck on the cheek for kissing."

The orange-skinned alien frowned. "Would that still be the spinning of the bottle?" She asked.

"It would be." Robin replied with a sigh of relief, still obviously reluctant, but willing to take the least of two evils.

Beast Boy suppressed a smile, knowing Starfire had forced the team leader's hand. If he hadn't agree she would've just started spinning and kissing people at random. With a mental shrug he pushed the thought aside, and wondered what had forced Raven's hand. That she hadn't just teleported herself to her room was ... He didn't know what to think. But that he might get even a peck on the cheek from her, or have to give her one, had changed the whole day from one of gloom to one of excitement.

_What am I doing? _The violet-haired girl thought, struggling to suppress the panic that threatened to overwhelm her. Rising she took sat on the ground beside the thrilled orange-skinned alien. _But I can do this. I've hugged them, and a peck on the cheek isn't much more than that. In fact it's less. Hugging requires more physical contact than just a couple of square inches of skin on someone's cheek._ Confident she could handle it, she waited for the game to begin.

Boy Wonder unwillingly walked over and sat on the floor. "Okay." He gulped with a look of panic. "But just pecks on the cheek." He told Starfire.

The girl nodded and eagerly spun the bottle. It whirled around at least two to three hundred times, wearing a spot on the hard metal floor, before slowing to point at Robin who looked relieved.

"Friend Robin." She exclaimed, clearly happy it was him, and quickly leaned over to rest her lips on his cheek for perhaps two seconds. She sat back with a huge smile on her face. Her eyes were practically glowing.

_She probably rigged this just to get a chance to kiss him. _Beast Boy mused. _For that matter, I wonder what's wrong with him that he doesn't return her affection? He's obviously in love with her. So why keep his distance?_

Robin spun the bottle and it pointed to Raven who gulped, turning a bright red.

_I can do this. _She told herself, focusing on remaining calm. _I can do this. _She repeated, focusing on her breathing. In a second it was over. He'd leaned over and gently kissed her cheek, and nothing had exploded. She gave a sigh of relief. _Just platonic_. The violet-eyed girl told herself. _But after it's over you can say you did something normal teens do._ With another gulp she reached down and gave the bottle a spin. It pointed to Cyborg. Taking a deep breath, she leaned over and silently chanted her mantra as her lips closed on his cheek. Her attention entirely on meditating, she managed it without blowing up the tower. Sitting back, she gave the tiniest hint of a smile, proud of herself.

Cyborg spun the bottle and it pointed to Starfire who blushed while her eyes lit up eagerly. In a second, with no hesitation at all, it was over.

The orange-skinned alien, still beaming, reached down and spun the bottle. It pointed at Beast Boy who gulped nervously.

"Enough." Robin said, obvious unable to take any more after seeing the girl he was in love with, even if he rarely showed it, already get one peck of the cheek from a guy. Trembling, he pulled Starfire to her feet. "I need to talk some business over with you privately." He stated in a voice that spoke of barely controlled rage.

The shape shifter frowned, and spun the bottle with a shrug. The only other girl left was Raven, and it pointed directly at her.

"Guess the game is over." The half demon hurriedly stood and walked out the door. As it closed behind her she felt a burst of emotion that ripped through the controls she usually had in place to block her empathic senses. Anger, sadness, regret, longing, jealousy, ... They stuck her with overwhelming force, causing her to stumble. _Beast Boy._ She thought, turning around stunned to stare at the closed door.

He picked up the bottle and walked over to a garbage can. Holding it above the container he gave a gentle squeeze, and it shattered. _Stupid game. _He fumed, as his ears twitched.

"Did you see the look on the poor guy's face." Cyborg spoke to Robin who hadn't pulled Starfire very far.

"I did." Boy Wonder's voice held a hint of amusement. "I feel sorry for him, but I'm still going to rub it in his face."

"Me too." Cyborg replied. "Couldn't have pulled a better prank than if I've planned it."

The two of them gave a little laugh.

The shape shifter frowned. _So they think it's funny. Well, I guess it is. _Still, anger blossomed in him, and he felt little desire to control it.

* * *

Raven gasped. With the controls gone she could sense not just Beast Boy's emotions but everyone's. There was gloating from Robin and Cyborg. Immediately the sadness of the shape shifter became mostly anger that burned like a raging fire, causing her to wonder how he could contain it. In a panic, as it threatened her own discipline, she teleported to her room and sat. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." She calmly intoned, levitating into the air.

An hour later she settled down, sitting cross-legged on her bed to think about Beast Boy. _He was having a bad day, and then the game for some reason cheered him up. _The half demon decided. _Not sure why. The kisses were just on the cheek, and were platonic. I should've just finished the game and let him give me that last one._ She mused._ Should've, but it's too late. If I offer to do it now he might take it the wrong way._

Her controls weren't perfect and when she touched people she could feel their emotions. Beast Boy always took her sarcastic attitude in stride, and never let it get under his skin. That was something she appreciated and made him the one she felt the closest to. They were all like brothers to her, but he was the one who understood her the best. The one who knew when to bother her, and when to leave her alone; the only one willing to face her wrath and approach her on a casual basis. When Trigon had been defeated she'd hugged Robin, and had felt what he'd been feeling at the time. He would die to protect her, but then he would do that for anyone, even a villain. Beast Boy, on the other hand, had hugged her. From that time on she'd known he wouldn't just give his life to keep her safe, he would gladly do so because he saw her as more than just a person; he saw her as a friend. That, to put it bluntly, had blown her away.

The violet-eyed girl thought of the gloating sensation she'd felt from the other two. _They're going to tease him about being the only one left out. _That she knew. _And he heard it. Those ears of his. _Anger stirred in her at Robin and Cyborg, and it took her a few minutes to regain her calm. _Not fair. _She decided, still not sure why it meant such a big deal to him, or what to do about it. Closing her eyes she tried to sense him, only to find he was gone from the tower.

_Joy is the very basis of his being. Nothing gets him down for long. _The violet-eyed empath decided. _He'll be back to his normal self tomorrow. If not ... _She still didn't know what to do. She might be better around people than when she'd first become a Titan, but she was definitely not a people person. _I'll talk to him then. _He was, after all, her best friend.

* * *

Beast Boy stared at the shattered remains of the bottle, wondering when his feelings for Raven had changed. Despite thinking she was creepy he'd thought of her as a friend from the day they'd met. She'd put herself at risk to help a stranger. An orange-skinned girl from another world. If that didn't show her worth as a person, and of being a friend, then he didn't know what would. When he and Cyborg had entered her mirror and visited Nevermore he'd seen a part of who she truly was. At that point he'd considered her more than just a friend; she'd become a good friend.

Frowning, still staring at the garbage without his eyes actually focusing on it, he wondered when the crush had begun. It was around the time they'd met Kole and Gnarrk at the polar ice cap. Kole had claimed Gnarrk's wasn't so good around people from the upper world, and he'd claimed the same about Raven. Her eyes had glowed white and ... He shrugged. At that point, seeing her there like that, he'd known she was suppressing a smile and something in him had changed. There'd always been some attraction; she was after all a cute girl. However it'd never any different than seeing any other pretty girl. After that he'd taken a really good look at her. She was smart, and her sarcastic humor was strangely enticing. That she cared about people was undeniable; she was, after all, willing to die to protect them. She'd proven that.

With a sigh the shape shifter turned away from the garbage can, trying to suppress his anger. He was, he realized, nowhere near her level. She was smart and pretty with a sense of humor. He was short and green with fangs. He had no chance. _So what do you do when you're rejected like that. _The green-skinned boy wondered. _And what is kissing like? As if I will ever know._

Dressing in regular clothing. Jeans and sneakers, along with a hooded pullover, he left the tower to tour the streets. For a while he wandered, not having any specific place to go. Sometimes he took on the form of a bird and flew, just observing the people below. Usually that calmed him, but today it failed. Watching an intersection, one person in particular caught his attention; a woman and what she was was obvious. With the eyes of an eagle he saw her roam the streets, trying to pick up guys.

A thought passed through his mind, and while he didn't particularly care for it, he was still intrigued. _Sort of cute, and willing to have sex for money. _The shape shifter gave it some thought. Sex wasn't something he was ready for and he knew it. But kissing on the other hand ... _Wouldn't someone willing to take cash for sex be also willing to give just a single kiss for cash? _Beast Boy pondered. He landed around a hundred feet from her and returned to his human form, all the while wondering how to approach her.

In the end he just pushed his fear to one side, much like with fighting a villain, and walked up to her. Her eyes tracked him, and noted he was approaching her. In Jump City the odds of him being a mugger were pretty much zero. A certain shape shifter with the eyes of an eagle saw to that.

"Hi." The nervous boy gulped, his face hidden by his hood.

"Hi." Came the amused response. "From the voice I guessing you're not all that old." She pondered aloud, tilting her head to better look at him.

He shrugged. "Not old enough, true. But I was wondering if just a kiss would be okay?" He gulped again, trying to keep the nervous tone to a minimum.

The woman, probably around twenty, gave a small laugh. "Not quite what people usually ask for, but sure." She smiled.

"How much?" Beast Boy managed to ask with another gulp, needing to take a deep breath to calm himself.

"Say a dollar, since it's just a kiss." The woman replied, obviously humoring him.

He fumbled with the money, the gloves he usually wore along with his nervousness making him clumsy.

The woman's eyes opened wider, and she stared at his hand. While fumbling with the money his sleeves had pulled up high enough to show the green skin of his arm.

"Disease." The woman frowned, suddenly frightened as she backed away. "Stay away." She ordered. Turning, she ran.

The shape shifter didn't bother to chase after her to explain, or even yell. She was terrified, and he had no plans to make it any worse for her. He stared at the green skin. _What did you expect? _He asked himself. _You're green for crying out loud. _He returned the money to his pants pocket, and resumed the form of an eagle. Wings grabbing for the air he soon soared half-a-mile above the city. In a swoop, he headed back to the tower.

* * *

It was just twenty minutes later that the alarm brought him running, along with the rest of the Titans, to the commons room.

"No villain this time." Robin explained. "But just a short while ago a woman encountered a guy trying to pick up women at 22nd Alvard Street. According to her he was dressed in faded blue jeans and a hooded sweatshirt. He was this high." Their leader raised his hand to indicate height.

"Pimps we handle sometimes." Cyborg pointed out. "But why just a guy trying to pick up women?"

"According to the woman he looked like he had some disease. We don't want him infecting anyone."

Beast Boy frowned, realizing he was about to scour the city looking for himself. He could confess, but that would give them all the more reason to mock him. Better to just pretend to search, and in a way it would be pay-back. Their night ruined in return for their laugh at him.

Raven, feeling the shock from Beast Boy, looked at him. _He was gone from the tower at the time. _She mused, thinking. _And those are the sort of clothes he wears when outside pretending to be just a normal citizen. The height was a bit too high, but if the woman was frightened she might've imagined him to be taller than he really is. _With a suspicious feeling, she decided it might've been him; having been rejected at the tower, he'd sought out some stranger who would give him a kiss, or more, for money. And the green skin would be seen as a sign of disease among street workers who would be paranoid about such stuff. The why of it still confused her, but he wasn't speaking up and even she wasn't willing to embarrass him over something like this; almost anything else, but not this.

"I'll scan from the air." The shape shifter said. "I'll also look for any muggers."

* * *

Soon Beast Boy was soaring above the city again, alone with his thoughts. _That didn't work out quite as planned. _He mused. Below the city was well-lit, and he could see everything. Well, almost everything. At a mile above ground level he could look for several miles in any direction. With his eagle eyes he could see a person from three or four miles. It was what made muggers in the city so rare. Sure Starfire and Raven could fly, but without the sight he had anything on the ground was just small ants to them, if that. Cyborg and Robin were ground-bound, and for all intents and purposes might as well have been blind.

One randomly picked night a week was all it took. He would soar over the city for several hours. Buildings might hide some spots, but eventually he would pass over them and see what there was to see. It took all of two minutes to swoop down, club a would be thief as a bear, and get back into the air. At first there'd been hundreds each night, but slowly it'd decreased. Now on any given night, in an entire city of two million people, there might be a single mugging.

It was the same with drugs. His senses as a bear exceeded that of any bloodhound. He could smell almost any narcotic from a mile, and pick out a buyer from a dealer by the amount they carried. Anyone that came to Jump City to deal drugs never lasted more than a week. The buyers he ignored, knowing they weren't a problem without a source.

Soaring he sighed, realizing his night was ruined as well. Rather than sleeping he would be patrolling. _Better that than being found out. _He decided, and scoured the ground, planning to at least make the night a productive one.

Four hours later their leader called off the search, and he returned to the tower. He'd caught two muggers.

* * *

Wearily he stood in front of a mirror, scrutinizing the image closely. The green skin. The pointed ears. The fangs. The claws. Definitely not human. "Happy Birthday, Garfield Logan." He said. "Rest in peace Mark and Marie and Garfield." He calmly added.

Lying back on his bed he thought about his parents. After half a life time, even if it was still a young life, he'd forgotten more about them than he could actually recall. One lesson though had stuck in his head. 'Live each day to its fullest.' In Africa they'd been geneticists, and he'd seen nature in all it natural glory. Not just the cute looking animals, but the brutal lives they lived. A lioness could have as many as forty cubs during her life. Obviously if populations were to remain stable the vast majority of them died before reaching adulthood. Even the so called masters of the wild were subject to the harsh realities of the jungle. He'd learned early just how short and precious life was.

'Embrace each day as if it were your last. Laugh and smile." His mother had told him repeatedly. 'Never waste time on being sad.'

'Be thankful for each day.' His father had told him. 'Cherish those close to you, and enjoy each moment with them.'

Sometime it was hard, but that was all that he really had left of his parents. That advice, and the few precious moments that he could still remember. He'd loved them back then, and had been cherished in return. So he did his best to follow their guidance.

The shape shifter settled down to sleep, determined that tomorrow would be a bright new day. But, something inside him was gone; the hope he'd always carried no longer filled him. He could see the future. Robin and Starfire would be a couple. Cyborg would find someone as would Raven. But who would look at a green mutant with claws and fangs as anything but an animal; a creature less than human. Friends he might have, but never anything beyond that. Sadness filled him, and as he fell in a deep sleep he dreamed of the day he'd died and been remade; the day of his eight birthday The day his parents had died and left him behind as something that would forever be alone. Tears poured down his cheeks.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	2. Chapter 2

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes: Tried to make this chapter a bit humorous. Hope I didn't go overboard with it. There is a bit of interaction with Raven, and how their relationship currently stands. Turned out a bit longer than expected.  
_

_Time: The next morning._

* * *

_**Cyborg Becomes Meat,... Robin's Droolly Situation,... Found Out,... The Colorful and Stinky Chase,... Night Comes,...**_

The eyes of the green-skinned Titan popped open, showing no signs he'd been up until the early hours of the morning. While he generally slept a full eight hours a night, something in his altered genes allowed him to go a long time without sleep when he needed to. Rising, he transformed into a small dog and stretched.

"Live every moment as if it's your last." He recited the motto he lived by. Usually it made him feel connected to his parents. This time, however, it just left him feeling empty.

With a shrug he dropped back down to the floor and went through a brutal series of exercises that left him aching and out of breath. Lying back on the cool surface, he pondered what it would be like to live his life forever alone. To watch as the others grew up, and found someone to share their lives with, leaving him the last one in the tower. He imagined continuing a solitary fight against villains until one of them finally ended his suffering. _Alone... _The word echoed through his mind and he shuddered. Pushing himself to his feet, he headed to the washroom.

* * *

Twenty minutes later he entered the kitchen to find Cyborg already awake with a huge stack of eggs and sausage on his plate.

"Morning B." The cybernetic teen greeted him. "Interesting game last night wasn't it? You never know what Starfire is going to come up with." He smirked.

"Hrmph." The shape shifter replied, searching the fridge for his supply of tofu eggs. He recalled Robin kissing Raven on the cheek and he mentally sighed, frowning.

"Imagine a kiss by Raven. Who would've imagined? I bet it was her first."

Beast Boy ignored him, rummaging through the fridge. There was no sign of the tofu. In his mind he saw Raven give Cyborg a kiss on the cheek and something in his blood began to boil.

"By the way, the stuff you had in the fridge was starting to smell so I threw it out. I cooked you some real eggs." Cyborg thoughtfully offered. "Maybe if you ate real meat like a real man the girls wouldn't have rejected you." He pointed to a plate.

"Hrmph." The shape shifter muttered again with a frown, recalling his so-called friend's gloating when Raven had walked away. "Okay, I'll eat meat." He grinned at the cybernetic teen who looked surprise. "Not eggs though." Beast Boy smiled a pleasant smile. "Are you really sure you want to see me eat meat?"

"Hrm. Yeah. Anything you want. My treat." Cyborg replied, eyes lighting up at the though.

"And you don't mind preparing me anything I want?" The smile changed to one of amusement.

"Anything." The cybernetic teen replied, obviously just glad to get his friend to eat real food for once.

"Just this once or whenever I want?"

"Any time. Trust me, once you've eaten meat you won't want to go back to that nasty tofu." The teen smiled at his green-skinned friend.

Beast Boy continued to stare at the other Titan, licking his lips. "Remember, you offered." He simply spoke, and the amused smile disappeared to be replaced by a wrathful expression. He shifted into the form of a rather small bat that was around four inches long with a wingspan of maybe seven inches. The wings ended in clawed thumbs, while its rather short snout showed razor-sharp incisors. Most bats can't move on land, but this form apparently could as it stalked it prey, using its forelimbs to help propel itself.

"What?" Cyborg asked, puzzled. He backed away.

The vampire bat continued to stalk the teen, with it eyes clearly seeing the heat signature where blood ran close to the surface of the human half of its meal.

"Stop with the jokes. Tell me what you want and I'll cook it." The meat-loving teen continued to back away, looking more puzzled than scared. The bat was, after all, pretty small.

With a burst of speed the shape shifter got around its foe and attached itself to his back. Without hesitation razor-sharp fangs ripped into flesh, creating a small cut less than a quarter of an inch wide and perhaps a little more than that deep. Ignoring the yelp of its prey, it tore open a small flap of skin and started drinking. While the wound was small, enzymes in the creature's saliva keep it bleeding.

"Beast Boy! Stop!" The cybernetic teen yelped, dancing around the room. "What the heck are you doing? Stop!" The tone was rising with some hint of fear in it.

An arm reached around to rip him from his meal, and for a brief second he became an electric eel. The hand was withdrawn with an astonished shriek. Changing back into his vampire bat form the shape shifter resumed drinking. The hand reached for him a few more times, and was withdrawn each time as its fingers were either nicked or shocked. In the meantime the voice of his fellow Titan continued to rise until it was a full-blown scream.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Cyborg danced around the room, yelling. He alternated hands, trying to remove the blood-sucking bat, only to quickly draw them back. Crashing to the floor as he tripped over a chair, the cybernetic teen was obviously in a panic.

Beast Boy resumed his human form. "Thanks for the meal Cy. You're right. I should have meat more often." He knelt beside his friend. "Make another remark about that game last night and ..." He let his voice fade and just licked his lips.

The cybernetic Titan shuddered. "You drank my blood." He shrieked, eyes wide in disbelief.

The shape shifter shrugged. "You offered. And in the large scheme of things, you're just meat." He passed Robin and Starfire racing in as he left.

* * *

Raven wearily stirred, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Searching for the so-called 'diseased stalker' had lasted into the early hours of the morning, and she desperately wanted to remain curled up beneath the blankets. However, in such cases, she'd found it was better to start her day at the regular time. If she went back to bed it would throw off her whole sleep cycle.

Still rubbing her eyes, the violet-haired girl levitated and started to chant. The words of her mantra became a huge yawn that nearly dislocated her jaw. She dropped back down on her bed. _Maybe a few more minutes. _She mused, eyes started to slide shut. A series of shrieks from the commons room brought her wide awake. Rising, she grabbed her cloak and threw it on. In seconds she was rushing out the door.

* * *

In the commons room she found Robin and Starfire standing over a wide-eyed Cyborg who seemed a bit pale-faced despite his dark complexion. _Wonder where Beast Boy is? _She pondered. _The screams should have brought him running too. At least everyone seems okay. Maybe someone just stole all the meat and hid it. That would explain the screams, and absence of Beast Boy._ Spotting the sausage and egg piled at the cybernetic teen's usual place at the table, she decided that couldn't be the case.

"Okay. Who screamed like a little girl and woke me up." The half demon intoned apathetically, staring at the cybernetic teen, with dark energy flickering around her hand. She did have an image to keep up.

"B... B..." The traumatized teen stuttered.

"Beast Boy did what?" Robin asked, sounding serious.

Cyborg gulped. "I'm not meat." He spoke, finally getting out a coherent sentence though no one knew what he meant.

"What do you mean? You're not meat?" Boy Wonder asked.

The cybernetic teen struggled to his feet. "I'm going to work on the T-car." He said, voice still trembling. "And I'm not meat."

"What about your breakfast?" Robin asked.

Cyborg shuddered, and turned even paler. "You know. I'm not in the mood for meat." He left at a run, and the door swished shut behind him.

There was a shocked silence in the room that lasted a full minute. The cybernetic teen _never _turned down eggs and sausage.

"Wonder what that was about?" Raven finally intoned.

"Is friend Cyborg okay?" Starfire asked, looking puzzled.

Their leader just shrugged, and shook off the shock. "Seems I don't have to do any cooking this morning." He smiled.

_Hrm. _The half demon silently mused. Given Cyborg was gone there was no way she could mooch some eggs from him, and her own cooking skills left a lot to be desired. _Guess it's either a muffin or cereal for me this morning. _She silently sighed to herself. Given the way Boy Wonder was looking at the plate in front of him, she would be risking a hand, if not her whole arm, if she tried to mooch from him.

"So Raven. Was it your first kiss?" Robin looked at her.

The violet-eyed girl frowned as her attention was drawn back to Beast Boy and what she'd sensed from him. "Isn't there supposed to be some sort of penalty when someone fails to complete the game?" She asked.

"Nay. I think we can skip that this time." He shrugged. "Did you see the look on Beast Boy's face?"

"No. But I felt his emotions." She intoned.

"Oh?"

"We should've finished the game."

"He'll get over it." Their leader shrugged again, using a fork to spear a piece of sausage.

"And you'll get in some gloating I assume." Raven asked in a passive tone.

"Some." Robin grinned.

"We didn't finish the game?" Starfire asked, frowning.

"It's okay Star." Beast Boy told her, walking in through a door that swished shut behind him. The shape shifter walked over to Robin and stood staring at his plate. His eyes were fixated on the pile of eggs and sausage, and he was drooling.

"What's wrong?" Boy Wonder asked, looking nervous at the intense stare.

"Sausage looks good. Can I have a piece?" The vegetarian asked.

Raven struggled not to spew her herbal tea over the table, while Robin just stared in surprise.

"Friend Beast Boy, you are now going to eat meat?" Starfire asked. "Are you feeling okay?" She added after a pause.

"Just this once. That sausage looks really good." The shape shifter picked up a fork and looked pleadingly at Robin.

"Just this once." The leader agreed, clearly wanting to see the green-skinned Titan break his principles.

"Beast Boy are you okay..." Raven started to ask with a slight hint of a worried frown.

The shape shifter put the fork back down with small grin of pure evil on his face. Suddenly the room was crowded with the sharp-toothed form of a huge, drooling, T-rex. Still appearing to smile in the massive form, the shape shifter reached down and almost daintily picked a single piece of sausage off the over-laden plate.

"Thanks." Beast Boy said as he resumed his human form. He still had a satanic grin on his face.

Robin gulped, and looked down at his plate. The eggs and sausage was now covered in at least an inch of the shape shifter's dinosaur drool. Tears appeared in Boy Wonder's eyes at the sight of the ruined food.

_So much for his free meal. _Raven mused, sipping her tea as she wondered what the green-skinned Titan had in store for her. _After all, I'm one of the ones who walked away._ She mused.

Beast Boy walked over to Starfire and whispered in her ear. The girl looked puzzled.

"Really?" She asked, sounding excited.

Robin and Raven both gulped and froze. When Starfire spoke in that tone it usually meant something bad was about to happen.

Raven took a deep breath and calmed herself down. _It usually meant bad things for Robin, not me. _She noted._ Besides, he wouldn't dare prank me._

The shape shifter nodded at the orange-skinned alien. "Really." He smiled.

Immediately the girl had the fleeing Boy Wonder in an iron-armed grip as she pulled him back to his seat. "Today." The jubilant girl declared. "I will feed you like couples sometimes do." She picked up a fork and stabbed a huge piece of dinosaur goo laden sausage. "Open wide." She beamed a smile at her crush.

"No, Starfire. Do..." Their leader closed his mouth just before the fork would've entered.

"What's wrong?" The girl asked, looking puzzled again.

"Remember the movie we saw the other day. The one where a woman was feeding a kid and playing airplanes. Maybe he wants you to do that." The shape shifter mused with a shrug.

"Oh. Okay." The orange-skinned alien smiled, looking confused, yet happy. "Anything for friend Robin." She whirled the fork around and aimed it at his mouth which remained closed.

"You might have to do this once in a while to order the landing bay doors to open." Beast Boy instructed her, and pinched their not so fearless leader's nose.

Raven suppressed a laugh, and calmly took a sip of her tea. On her plate there was a rather stale muffin which was all she could find in the fridge that didn't require cooking.

With his face turning a dangerously dark shade of red and his eyes bulging, Boy Wonder held out for an amazing seventeen minutes. When asked, the shape shifter assured Starfire it was perfectly normal and that she just needed to wait. The girl was more than willing to comply. Eventually, as he tired of struggling against the super-strong girl, their leader, close to passing out, opened his mouth.

"Finally." The jubilant girl exclaimed and the 'airplane, entered the landing bay at top speed, nearly causing the exhausted boy to choke.

"If he's playing the kids version of the game." Beast Boy explained, you'll need to do this to keep him from spitting it out. He took one of her hands and held it over the mouth of the weeping boy.

"Oh." Still looking puzzled, the girl shrugged. "If you say so." Patiently she waited for Boy Wonder to swallow. He did so twelve minutes later as his oxygen supply once again ran low, at which point another 'airplane' made a crash landing.

Eyes full of fury, Robin stared daggers up at the shape shifter, promising everlasting torment.

Beast Boy shrugged and smile. "You know. This is sort of like an indirect kiss." He mused looking at the drool laden plate.

Immediately the eyes of their leader opened wider in abject shock and horror.

Raven clenched her teeth together to keep from laughing. Behind her a trickle of magic wrecked havoc on an innocent toaster. _I think I can see why Cyborg practically ran from the room. _She mused.

"Indirect kiss?" Starfire's eyes blazed with interest. "Explain."

"That's when someone's mouth touches something, like the sausages." The shape shifter explained. "And then someone else eats them."

"Oh? Can I do this indirect kiss?" She pondered, eyes hopeful.

"Sure." Beast Boy shrugged. "You don't need to touch anything with your mouth though. That would be an indirect kiss from me to you. It's the saliva that counts."

"Just spit?" The orange-skinned alien asked.

"That would work." He agreed, watching Boy Wonder's eyes scream with dread.

"Okay." Starfire spat on the pile of eggs and sausage, delivering an astonishing amount of saliva to the plate.

Both Beast Boy and Raven watched the show with wide eyes.

"By the way." The shape shifter leaned down and whispered in the silently shrieking boy's ear. "Cyborg kissed her cheek. So whenever you kisses her there, that'll be an indirect kiss from him." He stood back up and watched the frantic struggles of the traumatized teen.

"I think this is going to take a while." He said, looking at the massive pile of cold eggs and sausage left on the plate. Knowing Starfire as he did, she wouldn't stop until it was all gone.

"You think." Raven intoned, wondering what he'd told the pale-faced Boy Wonder. It looked like he was going into shock.

"Guess practice is cancelled then. I'm going to the roof." Beast Boy left with one final glance at Robin. _It'll be a long time before he mentions the word 'kiss' again. _He decided.

"I'll leave you two love birds alone." Raven apathetically intoned as she stood and teleported herself to her room. There she burst out laughing. Around her small amounts of dark magic ran wild, but did little damage. For a moment she thought she could hear Happy cry out 'that's my Beastie,' while Rage was radiating waves of approval at the well-planned revenge. Shaking her head, she put her facade back in place.

Sending her senses out, she tried to determine if the shape shifter was indeed on the roof. He was. The violet-eyed girl frowned. For someone who'd just demolished the dignity of his two would be tormentors he wasn't radiating much happiness. In fact there was just sorrow and loneliness.

* * *

"Morning." She intoned, appearing on the roof just a few feet from him.

"Morning." The shape shifter replied, staring out over the ocean.

"You okay?" The half demon asked, sitting down beside him.

He shrugged.

"I'll take that as a no. You've been down ever since yesterday morning." She waited for a reply, but there was only silence. "Did you really try to pick up a hooker last night?" She finally dared to asked. The sudden tension told her she'd guessed right.

"I will not lower myself to confirm such rumors." The shape shifter replied with a sinking feeling.

"Let me guess. She saw the green skin and ran screaming?"

"_Assuming_ your original hypothesis was correct, then that result would most likely have followed." He affirmed, beating around the bush.

"You actually tried to pick up a hooker." She said, not really believing her suspicions were being confirmed.

"_Assuming_ your original hypothesis was correct, then it would've been a cash deal for a kiss and nothing more." The shape shifter replied noncommittedly.

"Oh." The violet-eyed girl frowned. "We were just playing for pecks on the cheek. Why was it so important to you?" Once again there was a long silence. "They're going to be plotting revenge you know." She added.

He shrugged. "So. Let them plot."

The half demon gulped. He really sounded like he didn't care. "Sorry it ended like it did. That Starfire and I ran off. It wasn't fair." She apologized.

With a sigh he shrugged again. "Doesn't matter."

"Obviously it does." She countered.

"It doesn't matter." He repeated, looking out over the water.

"We could finish the game. " She reluctantly suggested, seeing no other way to cheer up her friend. "A peck on the cheek." The fiery rage that reached out from the shape shifter washed over her, causing her to gasp. Struggling desperately, she retained control. "What?" The half demon gulped, eyes going wide with shock.

He closed his eyes fuming, feeling the anger that had suddenly enveloped his whole being. That she would offer something like that out of _pity_ was bad enough. But he could sense the unwillingness in her voice; her tone gave everything away. _I'm so repulsive she thinks even a peck on the cheek is disgusting. _The shape shifter decided. _From the way she said it, it sounds like she would rather die than go through with something so minor._ The green-skinned Titan sighed. _And why do I even care about it if it's so trivial? _He wondered.

"No." He finally replied in an even tone, suppressing the anger. "I don't want your pity."

"It's what I owe for not fini..."

"No." He stated again. "It was a stupid game and it's over with."

Raven sighed, wondering what she'd said wrong.

Beast Boy studied the rising sun. _A crush is just a crush. _He mused. _Like with Terra it will fade away. I just need to wait it out._ He stared down at his green skin, at the claws, with a frown.

Worried, Raven sat beside the shape shifter and silently meditated. He was a constant in her life. Always trying to be funny; always trying to make stupid jokes and make her laugh. She wanted to return the favor, and found she wasn't up to the task. She frowned slightly. In the years she'd known him, the only time he'd been even remotely like this was when Terra had betrayed them. There'd been times when they'd faced almost certain death and he'd been deadly serious, but there'd never been such ... despair.

* * *

For over an hour the two sat together without moving. Then an alarm sounded from both their communicators.

"Seems he's finished breakfast." Beast Boy mused.

"He probably just broke down and let Starfire finish feeding him." Raven intoned, unable to suppress a slight shudder. The meal had been more dinosaur and alien saliva than eggs and sausage. "Any plans to prank me or Starfire?" She asked, curious and a bit worried.

"Starfire's been pranked, sort of. Until they prank me back, that's the end of it." With a sigh he stood up and turned into an eagle that swooped down to the obstacle course beside the tower. The alarm had been for a surprise practice session, and not a villain.

"Okay people. Due to ... certain circumstances practice earlier had to be cancelled, so we're having it now." Boy Wonder stared at the green-skinned Titan.

"What were the certain circumstance?" The shape shifter mused aloud, as if puzzled.

Their leader gulped, and swallowed.

"Don't push it Beast Boy." Raven intoned with the slightest hint of a smile. _Wonder why Cyborg is wearing a heavy jacket? _She mused.

"Perfect." The shape shifter grinned, showing his fangs. "That'll keep you from reaching me the next time I get hungry."

_Huh? _The half demon pondered. _What did he mean by that?_ She watched as the cybernetic teen looked down at the heavy jacket and frowned. Suddenly he went pale, and the coat went flying as he tore it off.

"Stop messing around." Boy Wonder ordered with a puzzled look at the shredded jacket. "We're going to do something new today." He faced the green-skinned shape shifter with a grin. "Running an obstacle course is fine, but we usually end up facing a villain as a group. So today one of you will play a criminal, and it will be up to the rest of us to bring you down." He closed his eyes and shuddered. "Hard." He muttered so low that only Beast Boy could hear him. "Now who will we choose?" The leader said with a vicious smile. His eyes were staring directly into Beast Boy's.

"Oh. Can it be me?" The shape shifter asked excitedly, raising his hand and hoping around like a little school kid. The angry stares from Robin, Cyborg, and Starfire he ignored.

"Sure." Boy Wonder answered with a surprised look.

"Great." Beast Boy exclaimed, and raised his arm again as he grinned like a lunatic. "If I'm playing a villain does that mean I got to rob a bank or something?"

"No." Their leader replied. "You don't rob a bank."

"But if I'm playing the villain then don't I have to do villain stuff?" The green-skinned Titan asked, frowning. "Maybe a few jewelry stores?"

"No." Robin clenched his teeth. "You're just pretending to be a villain. You're not one." He paused. "Well technically you're not, but after this morning I'm not so sure."

"Be more realistic." The shape shifter pointed out. "Wait for me to hit a place, and then squash me."

"We can do the squashing without you robbing a store or a bank." Their leader argued.

"But it'll be more fun."

"It's a practice session designed to crush you. It's not supposed to be fun" The frustrated teen admitted. "At least not for you." He added.

"Oh." Beast Boy frowned as if only just understanding the situation. When Robin started to sigh in relief, he spoke up again. "How about I mug a few people?"

"NO!" The leader screamed. "No muggings, no robberies. Just squashing the villain, namely you." He seethed, practically growling.

"Not even a video store. There's a few games I want to ..."

"NO!" Came the reply. "No robberies. None. Zilch. Zero. Understand?"

"I think so." The shape shifter replied. "How about I try to take over the world instead? Jump City has six cores at its nuclear power plant and all that ..."

"NO!" Robin commanded, going pale. "No taking over the world." He frowned, obviously having second thoughts about the plan. "And no going near the power plant." He ordered with a shudder.

"What about car jacking? Be nice to have fast ride to try to run in." He turned to Cyborg. "You never let me drive the T-car." He pointed out.

"No stealing cars." Their leader sighed. "And stop playing dumb. You have five minutes before we chase you."

"Better get moving." Raven intoned, wondering how bad they were going to squash him. Despite his antics, she still sensed nothing to indicate he was having fun.

The shape shifter shrugged and took to the air, heading in a straight line for the nuclear power plant.

"Don't go near that power plant." He heard Robin's panicked scream behind him.

"Time is up." Cyborg spoke a minute later.

"Robin said five." The half demon intoned.

"I lied." Their leader replied.

They all turned as Cyborg's communicator beeped.

"What is it?" The cybernetic teen asked, answering it.

"Remind when we're meeting up for dinner." Beast Boy's voice came from the device. "Remember what you agreed to."

"What did you agree to?" Raven intoned, curious. There was no response. Cyborg, she noted, was almost in shock.

In the end the shape shifter had his five minute lead, and a bit extra. It took that long before they could get the cybernetic teen to stop muttering, "but I'm not meat."

* * *

Beast Boy perched on the top of a small building with a tired sigh. The game was rigged. His communicator could be used as a tracking device, so there was no way he could hide. Not something a regular villain would have on them. They would find him, and then crush him like a bug. It wasn't as if he could ditch it; there might be a real emergency. Briefly, he considered just letting them find him and having a bit of fun with him. But even if he felt like giving up, it just wasn't in his nature.

Rising, he considered his strategy. He would probably lose in the end, but that didn't mean they would enjoy their victory. Opening his beak, he let out a piercing cry of battle. Spotting a paint store he landed. In the wilds of Africa, even a boy of eight knew how to set a simple trap. He just had to improvise a little.

* * *

"He's in that alley." Cyborg growled. The shape shifter had called him four times in the last twenty minutes asking about lunch. He'd even went as far as suggesting the cybernetic teen eat lots of meat so he would be able to replace the blood he lost.

"You sure?" Robin asked.

"He wouldn't leave his communicator behind, and it's in there. I'm sure of it."

"Okay. On my mark we rush him." Glee filled Boy Wonder's voice. He took a deep breath, and prepared to give the command.

Beast Boy had watched their approach. He couldn't ditch the communicator, but that didn't mean he couldn't turn the volume up and drop it a little distance away. If there was an emergency his sharp ears would hear it from hundreds of feet.

He'd waited as a small rodent as the team had approached, making sure they couldn't see him. With a sadistic grin, he returned to his human form. The four Titans were just fifteen feet away, with their backs to him. With a shrug at how simple it'd been to set the trap, he lifted several tins of spray paint that he'd tied together, and threw them. Bursting on impact, the entry to the alley was suddenly filled with a kaleidoscopic cloud of the brightest paint he could find. Red and blue and pink and yellow and orange and ... They all whirled together, coating the two ground-bound Titans.

"Starfire. Catch." He yelled, and threw four tins of spray paint at her. They too had been tied together, and the girl by reflex knocked them to one side. The close range had made the projectile nearly impossible to dodge. They exploded.

Not pausing, he jumped just as a black wave of energy reached out for him. He thought maybe Raven had been a little slow. She might find him repulsive in a romantic sense, but as a friend she was more than solid.

Raven kept her eye on the shape shifter as she glanced at the rest of the team.

Starfire was coated in four bright colors that had covered her front in nearly equal proportions. Her upper right was a bright yellow, while the upper left was an eye-blinding pink that Raven thought the girl would've loved under different circumstances. Her lower right was a more mundane sky blue, while her lower left was a vivid orange that mocked her natural skin tone. _Colorful. _The half demon admitted.

Looking at Cyborg and Robin she gasped. If Starfire was colorful then she didn't know how to describe the multicolored rainbow that covered them.

Reflex made her raise a barrier to block the cans of paint that came her way. _I'm definitely not letting him paint me like that. _The violet-eyed girl adamantly decided. The black field of dark magic easily protected her, but the resulting cloud blocked her vision. She sensed the shape shifter race below her and into the alley, moving at a speed that could only be his cheetah form. _Recovering the communicator. _She thought, and decided not to follow him.

Starfire, with her incredible strength and resilience just blinked the paint out of her eyes. Robin's mask had protected his vision. Cyborg's robotic eye had been coated, while his human one was painted shut. No permanent harm had been done, but the cybernetic teen would be out of commission until his sight could be restored.

"So when do we squash the bug?" She intoned, recalling their talk as they'd hunted the shape shifter. She cringed at the language that came from Cyborg, and was really glad she didn't understand Tamaranean.

"Soon as we clean up." Robin declared, looking like a miniature rainbow.

Only problem was the paint turned out to be a very high quality mix specially designed to withstand extreme outdoor conditions. The Titans would be a colorful bunch for the next week, if not longer. That caused Robin to go into a fit of cursing that made the half demon want to find a chair to hide under.

_Don't over do it Beast Boy. _Raven silently muttered to herself. _You live with these people._ She was worried. His pranks were usually of the water balloon type, and permanent paint was overdoing it a bit. _More than just a bit. _She mused. And during the brief battle she'd felt nothing from him but grim determination mixed with bitterness.

* * *

"He's down there." Cyborg pointed. Only his cybernetic eye was able to see at the moment, but it was enough.

"You sure." Boy Wonder gulped.

"I want to pound starbolts into friend Beast Boy." Starfire said, looking down at her colorful appearance. "But I do not want to go into the stinky sewers."

"Me either." Raven intoned. "I'll keep watch out here."

"We're all going." Their leader commanded.

It was a mistake. The shape shifter had built a minor dam across the tunnels. It wasn't anything major, and wouldn't have caused any trouble for the city in the short term, but for over an hour the nauseating and odious substance that filled the sewer had built up behind it. With their sensors telling them their prey was still a hundred feet away they'd rushed through the revolting, icky-brown, stream and triggered a trap. A flood of disgusting waste that defied description had roared down upon them, and in the cramped space there'd been no flying to get away from it.

They'd crawled out of the sewers, sending the people standing around the manhole running in terror. Whether it was the way they looked, or the way they smelled, Raven had no idea. She was the least affected, having barely managed to use a shield to protect herself, but she still felt like she needed ten thousand showers and then some. On the bright side there was no cursing; they were all too afraid to open their mouths for fear that some of the slime on them might get inside.

* * *

It was ten p.m., and three traps later, that the chase was called off.

Raven was rushing to the shower when Beast Boy knocked on her door. "What?" She growled, causing him to take a step back.

"Sorry." The shape shifter replied, ignoring the black energy that coated her hands. He held out two bottles. "One will remove the paint if you got any on you." He explained. "The other is a professional soap used by sewage workers to get rid off ... well you know what."

She grabbed the offered items frantically and read the labels. "Shower." She exclaimed as she slid the door shut.

Beast Boy dropped duplicate packages off at Cyborg's and Robin's rooms. They too grabbed the bottles of special paint remover and soap. They also both carefully read the labels to make sure it wasn't another prank.

The final door was Starfire's. When she opened it her hands lit up with starbolts.

"Sorry." He told her, as he handed her the bottles and explained what they were for. "Especially for this morning." He added.

"The paint and the stinky sewers I honestly do not mind." She replied. "That was a part of the training and that I understand. There was much worse when I trained on Tamaran. But why did you lie to me this morning?"

He studied the anger in her eyes and sighed. "I was angry at Robin, and I went overboard with it. I'm sorry."

The multi-colored alien studied him back. "Am I that repulsive?" She asked. "Friend Robin will not look at me the way I wish for him too. I was hoping your advice this morning would ..." Her voice trailed off and tears appeared in her eyes.

"You're not repulsive." The shape shifter reassured her. "If anything you're beautiful. Your skin tone, with that red hair and those green eyes, make you look exotic." It was the blunt truth.

"Then why?" She demanded.

"I'm not sure." Beast Boy admitted. "It puzzles me as well. For some reason he's just so obsessed with catching villains that he can't see much else." The shape shifter shrugged. "But that won't last forever. And he's obsessed with you as well. He gets jealous when other guys look at you, and such. Take that spinning the bottle game we played yesterday. He didn't want to play because he didn't want you kissing anyone. And even when it was a peck on the cheek he couldn't take it for long. Why he doesn't return your affection I don't know, but that he likes you I'm sure iff."

"Are you sure. Earth customs confuse me." Her eyes pierced him, demanding the truth.

"He likes you." The green-skinned Titan reassured her again. "He's just unwilling to commit. That's puzzles me as much as it does you."

"I see." She looked at the two bottles. "I must use the shower. The sewers were most stinky."

The shape shifter cringed. "Trust me. With my sense of smell it was much worse for me. I'll never forget it." His face turned a darker green, and his stomach felt like rebelling.

"You are a most capable foe." The orange-skinned alien smiled at him. "We were sure our victory would be easy, yet we did not even see you."

"Blame that on Robin." He replied. "If he'd let me rob a bank like I wanted to there would've been an alarm. You would've caught me easily."

The girl went to speak again but closed her mouth. "I must use the shower." She gulped, and closed the door.

Beast Boy wandered back to his room where, with a sigh, he took a sniff and headed for his own shower. The chase should've been fun. The excitement and the rushed attempts to think of traps and set them up. But ... He shrugged, not knowing what he felt.

* * *

Thirty odd showers later, Raven stepped out of the washroom. For once in her life she was wearing perfume that Starfire had supplied. Sending her senses through the walls she located Beast Boy. Picking up a small case she teleported to his room door, and entered after knocking.

"Chess?" She asked, holding up the game.

He nodded. "What's the score now?" He wondered.

"A hundred and thirty-seven to fifty-four, in my favor." She intoned, pulling up a chair.

Sitting back, she contentedly watched as he carefully made the first move. Not quite up to her standards, but he'd only been playing for a few months. In a few more beating him would really push her mind to its limits. That would be fun. With a slight smile, she analyzed his move, and made her own. Within her she felt Knowledge take an interest in the game.

"Try picking up any hookers today?" She asked.

A brief smile flickered across his face. "A few, but if the green skin didn't send them running then the smell of sewage did." He shuddered.

She felt relieved. For a second, he'd actually found the simple teasing funny. "Thanks to you scaring the wits out of Cyborg I had no breakfast this morning." She informed him.

"Sorry. If you're hungry try some of these." He handed her a bag of chips.

Keeping a close eye on the board, she took a few. Nights like these were fun. If only he was his usual cheerful self.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Next chapter will be more serious. Just wanted Beast Boy to get some payback for the gloating. There're two major scenes I want to show before we get a glimpse of Beast Boy's first form.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	3. Chapter 3

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replied to reviews:_

_I'm assuming Jump City has two million people, and occupies an area of around a hundred square miles. Just how many miles of road would such a place have I wonder._

_By first form I mean the first shape Beast Boy learned to use. It'll be one that he's long forgotten about._

_Coming from a warrior culture Starfire would understand that sometimes training is messy and isn't easy. It wouldn't make her angry. Being lied to would._

_Starfire didn't so much reject Beast Boy as she got pulled away by a jealous Robin. She would've gladly went through with it. She was probably hoping Boy Wonder was jealous enough, or maybe excited enough, to pull her into a room in private and start smooching with her._

_Leave the Titans? Not in the way you mean, as this chapter shows._

_I'm not much into writing lemon scenes. Maybe if the site allowed more explicit material I would, but it doesn't. _

_Yeah. I'm trying to show Beast Boy and Raven as being good friends, just not romantic ones. At least not yet._

_Starfire is smart, but yeah, it seems to be taking her a long time to adjust to a new culture. But then earth culture would be totally alien to her. And it's not just the culture, but the way humans are wired compared to the way Tamaraneans are. To her expressing emotions is natural, while Robin often suppresses his. That would throw her off. I'm showing things from Beast Boy's and Raven's perspective, so I can't show what she's really thinking, but I did hint that the game might have been just a way for her to get to kiss Robin. That would indicate she's not as clueless as she appears._

_Thanks to Shadico for pointing out a very big mistake on my part._

_Time: The next morning._

* * *

_**The Breakfast Moocher,... Sheesh! Not Cinderblock Again,... A Hopeless Battle,... The Search,... Beast Boy Wakes Up,...**_

The violet-eyed girl lifted her hood and secretively peered at Robin out of the corner of her eye. When she'd arrived, Cyborg had been rushing out the door with a huge plate of waffles in his hands. It seemed he wanted to be long gone before Beast Boy came down for breakfast. That meant her last hope for a proper breakfast rested in the hands of Boy Wonder. Desperate as she was, there was no way she was going near Starfire's cooking. _I really need to learn to cook. _She silently mused. _How hard can it be for someone who can master some of the most powerful spells in the world? _That didn't help her at the moment.

_I could ask, and he probably would get me something. _She knew that. Even in such mundane matters her friends were there for her. _But he's obviously in a rush. Probably wants to get back to the evidence room and try to figure out who broke Cinderblock out of prison. If Slade is active again then that's important._

"Glorious morning, friend Beast Boy." Starfire greeted.

"Morning." Raven intoned, looking up at the shape shifter.

"Morning." The green-skinned Titan greeted them back.

Robin started stuffing his food in his mouth as fast as he could, in an obvious rush to flee the prankster. He paused, and looked fearfully up as the shape shifter stood beside him, staring at his plate.

"I was thinking about the training session yesterday." Beast Boy commented, turning his gaze away from the mass of greasy bacon. "It's a good idea. But should have the person chosen to be a villain actually try to do something. I was thinking about maybe testing the security at the Jump City prisons. Rather than just recapturing whoever escapes, we could try to upgrade their safety measures so they don't get out in the first place."

"That's a good idea." Their leader agreed. "Cyborg reviews their procedures, but we could give the guards some practice, and it would help him find the holes in their system."

"Don't the guards already get enough practice with escaping prisoners?" Raven intoned sarcastically.

"All too much." Boy Wonder agreed. "I'll set something up with the prison management." He added, turning back to Beast Boy.

The green-skinned shape shifter walked towards the fridge. Passing Starfire he paused. "That's a nice perfume." He told her. "If a scent had emotions I would say it smells like happiness. It suits you."

"Really? Friend Beast Boy." The girl's eyes lit up and she beamed a smile at him.

"Really." He assured her. "Don't you think so, Robin?" He turned towards the boy who was staring daggers at him.

"Hmm. It does." Boy Wonder hurried to agree. "It's really nice and suits you Starfire." He said, turning towards the orange-skinned alien.

"Thank you friend Robin." Starfire happily replied, blushing.

_Beast Boy playing cupid. _Raven mused. With a sigh she watched as Robin hurried from the room. _There goes my last chance at a cooked breakfast. Unless..._ She turned towards the shape shifter who was preparing to fry a couple of tofu eggs. _How bad can it be? _She asked herself. _He eats it all the time._

"Want some?" The green-skinned Titan asked, seeing her stare.

"I wouldn't mind trying some." She intoned, eyes not leaving the carton of eggs.

"Cyborg not around this morning?" He asked, adding in three more tofu eggs.

"Whose fault is that?" The violet-eyed girl asked apathetically.

The shape shifter shrugged. "He offered. Actually he pretty much insisted."

"Somehow I doubt he knew what he was getting into." She replied.

"Not my fault." Beast Boy insisted. "But the next time I try that I hope someone knocks me out. It was disgusting." He shuddered.

"I bet." She intoned with a small smile.

Several minutes later her facade of apathy faded into one of gratitude as a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast was place in front of her. It turned out it tasted _almost_ like the real thing, and she hungrily ate. "Thanks." She intoned. "Now if Cyborg is gone I know who to mooch breakfast off." She gave him a small smile.

"Or you can learn to cook." Beast Boy replied, giving her the tiniest hint of a smile back.

True." She admitted. Taking a sip of tea, she sat back and silently watched as her fellow green-skinned Titan finished eating. _Sadness and bitterness. _The empath decided. _Along with determination. Still wish I knew what was wrong._

"Wonder if it was Slade that released Cinderblock?" She mused aloud.

"I figure there's a fifty/fifty chance." Beast Boy replied. "He's pure muscle that's only good for wrecking havoc, which draws our attention."

"So anyone who uses him is usually messing with us?" Raven asked, pondering the idea.

"Yeah. He can't rob a bank or any other place. He's too easy to spot from a mile away. His technical skills are probably worse than mine." The shape shifter paused for a second. "Never though I would ever be able to say that about anyone." He admitted.

"Come on now, you're not that bad." The violet-haired girl intoned. "I've seen you program a vcr."

"True. Beast Boy, technical genius extraordinaire." The shape shifter proudly exclaimed.

"Hrmph." Another brief smile broke through her facade.

An alarm sounded and they both rushed from the table. This time it was no practice session.

* * *

"It's Cinderblock." Robin announced.

"What?" Cyborg exclaimed. "We only put him back in prison two days ago.

"I know." Boy Wonder fumed.

"My poor head." Groaned Beast Boy, knowing bringing the concrete slab back down was going to hurt.

"I think we can now assume it's Slade." Raven intoned. "There're other villains that like to play games, but he's the only who uses Cinderblock."

"I estimate the odds of it being him at ninety-three percent." Robin sighed. "Anyway, he's on Albright Road, just north of the bridge."

"You know." Beast Boy mused, looking at Starfire. "If you wanted to conserve your strength for the fight you could ride with Robin on his motorcycle."

The girl frowned. "I am not that weak." She pointed out. "I can fly such a short distance."

"On the motorcycle you would have to wrap your arms around him." The shape shifter pointed out.

"I don't think that's necessar..." Boy Wonder started to say.

"That is a wonderful idea, friend Beast Boy." The orange-skinned alien declared happily. "I will ride with friend Robin and conserve my strength for the battle."

There was some muttering from their leader, but he looked at the time and rushed out. They all followed on his footsteps.

* * *

In the form of an eagle the shape shifter studied the scene below. The massive concrete villain was running amok, destroying cars and damaging buildings at random. But that wasn't what the green-skinned Titan was focused on. In this form his eyes could see far more than any human could ever hope to, and right now they were seeing numerous bright bluish-white lights that seemed to flicker; they were magnetic field much like those that would surround a Sladebot. He circled the area, trying to count them. Then he dropped lower, and landed on a black disc beside Raven where he resumed his normal form.

"You're right." He informed their leader. "It's a trap. I spotted around ten Sladebots, but that's a minimum. Some of the buildings around here are made of some pretty thick stone. I wouldn't be able to spot one of them through that."

"How many you think there're total." Boy Wonder asked, his voice serious.

"About half the area where they could be hidden are buildings like that. So twenty to twenty-five." The shape shifter replied.

"That's going to be tough." Raven intoned with a frown.

"Rock Head is bad enough." Cyborg added. "Last time he put more than a few dents in my hide."

"We don't have a choice. If we don't stop Cinderblock then innocent people are going to get hurt." Robin stated. "Beast Boy and Starfire will handle him, while the rest of us try to take out any Sladebots that attack them."

"That's not going to work." The shape shifter replied.

"Why?" An impatient Robin asked.

"I can knock him down a few times, but it's pretty brutal." Beast Boy explained. "As strong as Starfire is she can only deal out so much damage. I'll be knocked senseless long before she can beat him into submission. Not to mention there's no way three of you can block twenty or more Sladebots, which means we wouldn't be able to fully focus on Cinderblock. That'll hinder us."

"I see." Came the stoic reply. "But it's not as if we have a choice. Team. Go!"

Beast Boy dropped towards the street below, and changed into the form of an eagle again. He hit the ground already running and made the transition to an elephant. His first charge smashed into the concrete wall that was Cinderblock with a meaty thunk, knocking the villain over. The shape shifter rolled backwards, having reverted to his human form from the shock of the impact.

Rolling to his feet in a daze he saw Starfire was already above their foe, raining down starbolts. _She realizes just how tough this is going to be. _The shape shifter noted, knowing she would give it everything she had. Still, she was only one Titan when there were usually four that tried to beat the concrete slab into submission. He would be knocked out long before they succeeded. Around the battlefield he saw Robin being pushed hard by three of the robots, while Cyborg was keeping four busy. Raven was high in the air, using a car to batter any that came close to him or the orange-skinned Titan.

"Star. Behind you." Beast Boy suddenly yelled, seeing four of the Sladebots rush around the rest of the Titans and focus on her. He watched as she rose into the air without hesitation at the warning.

Using the form of an elephant again, he charged the four cybernetic minions, scattering them. It would've been futile, but the car Raven was wielding with deadly affect started to smash them away. Seeing Cinderblock was on his feet, the shape shifter charged just as the immense foe sent a small truck flying at Starfire who dodged. Then he collided with the massive slab of rock once again, knocking him down.

"Ow!" The green-skinned Titan exclaimed, as he rolled away from the impact. The sound of starbolts hitting the massive foe came to his ears, and he rose to his feet to watch Starfire at work. She was hanging low to the ground, pouring all she could into the villain's head. Cinderblock reached for her, and she rose a few feet higher, staying just out of his grasp.

Raven frowned as she smashed the car she wielded into another one of Slade's cybernetic minions. The impact did little, if any, damage to the robotic creation. Basically she was focusing on knocking them away from Beast Boy and Starfire. But there were nearly twenty of them, and some were getting past her. Two were down; one from explosive discs thrown by Robin; one from Cyborg's sonic cannon. "Damn." She muttering, focusing. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" She intoned, calling on all the power she had.

Seeing three of the robots charge around the others, and race at Beast Boy, she smashed one aside, and blocked another. The third one struck at the shape shifter, but luckily he was in his elephant form, and the huge beast managed to absorb the attack without much harm. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" She recited again, and her car knocked the third Sladebot more than thirty feet to one side. The durable foe stood back up, and waded into the fight again. _For now we're barely holding our own. _The violet-eyed girl noted. _But if something doesn't change soon, we're going to be overwhelmed._ Impassively she watched the battlefield below and knocked another attack on Starfire aside.

A fourth time, and then a fifth time, he knocked the massive foe down, while Starfire blasted it with starbolts. His head was one throbbing mass of pain, and he noticed his partner was starting to deal less damage with each attack. She was weakening too. Rising to his feet, he charge as a massive seven ton elephant again. He saw stars, but the giant villain toppled over for a sixth time. Too dazed, he couldn't focus enough to roll away this time.

"Friend Beast Boy. Are you okay?" Starfire asked, sounding tired, as she stood above Cinderblock pouring forth all the starbolts she could.

The shape shifter placed one hand on the ground, attempting to rise. It was then that a Sladebot slipped through the other Titans and hit him with an electric shock. He fell unconscious to the ground.

Raven saw her friend fall, and tried to protect him with a barrier of black energy, but it came too late. The Sladebot that had attacked him picked up the shape shifter and raced away. Starfire, she saw, tried to follow, but had to dodge a truck Cinderblock tossed at her. One of the cybernetic minions was attacking the orange-skinned girl from behind, and the half demon had to spend a few seconds knocking it away. The two of them rose together in the air.

"Do you see friend Beast Boy?" Starfire asked, peering around.

"No." The violet-eyed girl replied impassively, scanning the battlefield with her senses.

"We must find him." The usually jubilant girl nearly cried. "We can't allow Slade to have friend Beast Boy."

"We won't" Raven intoned, still searching, but there was nothing to find. As far as she could tell the robot had raced away with the green-skinned Titan. With a frown, she continued to scan the area. Vaguely she noted the rest of the Sladebots vanishing from the battlefield; running away and vanishing around the corner of buildings. Her attempts to follow them quickly ended as they disappeared. "Damn." She muttered, suppressing the panick that threatened to overwhelm her.

"Where's Beast Boy." Robin called over the communicator.

"Slade captured him." Starfire replied.

"We finish taking down Cinderblock, and then we search until we find him." Boy Wonder ordered.

Without the shape shifter to knock the villain down it took longer than usual. A charging seven ton beast has a lot of momentum, and none of them could replicate that. Raven throwing a car came close, but not close enough. The same went for Starfire. In the end they were forced to stand back and dodge whatever the massive villain flung their way, while pouring all they had into its nearly indestructible body.

* * *

Nearly a half hour passed before they could beat the concrete slab into submission. Nearly thirty minutes when Slade could've been taking the shape shifter anywhere, and doing anything with him. All four Titans began to comb the city the best they could.

Despite her weariness, Starfire took to the air and scanned the streets below. Raven incanted spells to enhance her empathic senses and tried to spot him that way. Cyborg scanned images from the city's cameras. Robin used what they knew about Slade, and tried to determine where his current lair might be.

The day passed, and despite their weariness they continued the search well past midnight. Starfire was reduced to taking a five-minute break, and then searching for five more. Raven was losing control over her emotions, and dark magic was wrecking massive destruction in her room as she struggled to continue. Cyborg had asked several news stations to put out notices, while he continued to scan the cameras. Robin was cursing, and looking at maps of the city where he thought Slade might be hiding.

In the end a city that covered nearly a hundred square miles, and included over two million people, was just too massive for the four Titans to search. Titans East was called in to help.

Mas y Menos were the best bet with their superspeed. Moving a just below the speed of sound, so a sonic boom didn't wreck the city. They traversed over half the streets in Jump City before they collapsed into exhaustion. Bumblebee took to the air and searched. Aqualad, on the chance the villain's lair was close to the water, arranged for schools of porpoises to swim close to the land and keep a close eye on the shore. Speedy partnered with Robin, and checked the various places Boy Wonder thought might possible lair sites.

The night passed. A backlash of dark energy strained Raven's control over her emotions, and she collapsed. Starfire crashed into the roof of a building, unable to move anymore. Robin kept working, but weariness tore at him, and Speedy forced him to leave to get some rest. Of the original Titans Cyborg alone continued to work, using his mechanical systems to keep from collapsing.

Titans East regrouped and continued the search. But a city of two million people has thousands of miles of road, and hundreds of thousands of buildings. Scouring the roads was all they could do, but the odds the shape shifter could be seen from one was low. Still, they pushed themselves to their limit, and continued the hunt.

* * *

_No pain. _Beast Boy mused. _Guess Raven healed my poor battered head after the fight was over._ Still he didn't move, sensing something wasn't right. _Why is the air so pure? _He wondered. There wasn't a single natural scent that he could detect, though something in it hinted of machinery. Cautiously he remained still, and tried to open his left eye just enough to see where he was.

"You're awake, my new apprentice." A familiar voice spoke. "Now we can begin your training."

The shape shifter opened his eyes and looked around. _Not good. _He gulped, scratching at the glass enclosure that held him. It was shaped according to his body, and left no room for him to switch into something larger. It was also hard as steel.

"Don't bother." The voice came again. "That's made of synthetic diamond."

"Oh." The green-skinned Titan studied his prison a little closer.

"There's a perfect seal around you. Even an amoeba wouldn't be able to get out." The voice continued. "If you try to hide as one then I can send an electric charge through the cage. That would be enough to cause you to resume your human form. You have enough bottled air to last twenty-four hours. Long enough for me to begin your training."

_Drats! _Beast Boy mused. _Can't go large, and can't go small._ "What do you want?" He finally asked.

"As I already said. A new apprentice."

"Sorry. Being a Titan already takes up most of my time. Besides, why me?"

"I admit I would've preferred Robin, but he's a bit stubborn. Too much like me. You will have to do." Slade replied.

"And if I refuse?"

"You won't." The supervillain spoke with absolute certainty. "I've had enough of apprentices turning on me.

He went small, and became an amoeba. Immediate agony coursed through his body, causing him to return to his human form. "Ouch." He quietly muttered. The psychopath hadn't been kidding about the electric charge.

"There's no way for you to resist. Things will go easier if you relax."

"As if that's going to happen. I'm not going to work for you." He turned his head as far as he could, and peered at the master criminal. He resembled his Sladebots, and was busy working at a console.

"As I said. I'm tired of my apprentices turning on me. You won't be given a choice. I admit it will weaken your effectiveness somewhat, but better that than betrayal." The voice was calm and self-assured.

"I'll make a terrible apprentice. I can't even program a vcr." He insisted. "You might as well just let me go."

"I don't think so. If you don't work out then I will just eliminate you." Slade replied, still punching buttons.

_Gulp! _The shape shifter thought. "In that case I'll make the perfect assistant." He declared, with fake confidence. "Yep. Beast Boy. Perfect villainous assistant."

There was a small laugh. "Can any security system stop you?" Slade asked.

"Not unless it was specifically designed to." Beast Boy admitted. "Not many of them watch out for insects or mice."

"You can enter any place, retrieve an item, and leave undetected. Trust me. You will make an excellent apprentice."

"Sheesh. You know I think that's the first time anyone has ever said I would be excellent at something. I just wish it didn't come from a psychopath." He paused and gulped. "No offense meant." He added, realizing he'd just called the person who had him in a cage crazy.

"None taken. I am what I am." Slade mused. "Too bad your sense of humor won't survive the training."

"I'm really attached to it." The shape shifter admitted. "Can't we just leave that intact?"

"Sorry. It has to go."

"I'll trade you my comic book collection?" The green-skinned Titan tried to bargain.

"Tempting offer. But when you're trained I'll just have you steal it for me. Assuming I want it."

The shape shifter sighed, and tried his claws against the hard glass-like surface that kept him confined. For all the joking, the man who had him caged was the one person in the world he would like to kill. "Just how are you going to make me a villain?" He asked.

"That's simple. A bit of surgery and you'll be a whole new person." Slade shrugged. "As I'm a bit shorthanded right now I must apologize, it will have to be done without any anaesthetic."

"That doesn't sound good. Let me go so I can get some. I promise I'll come right back." Beast Boy offered. He really hated pain.

"Sorry." Said a voice that was void of sympathy.

His world disappeared in a mass of agony that ripped through his skull and seemed to reach every fibre of his being. The shape shifter screamed and thrashed. Against the diamond-hard shell that encased him it did no good. Even if he'd been able to break free of the cage it would've done him no good. Finally the pain brought unconsciousness. Within his skull the nanobots didn't pause in their work.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Poor Beast Boy. Wonder what changes Slade will make.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	4. Chapter 4

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_Chapter was deleted to tone things down a bit. It no longer goes past an attempt at massaging, though Raven is still somewhat traumatized by it.  
_

_Phrase: 'Vocat atra furor. Quaero de potestate tenebrarum noctis'_ _Should translate as: 'I summon the dark fury. I demand Power from the darkness of the night.' But who knows just how trustworthy Google Translator is._

_Think of the place where Beast Boy stores the animals he can shift into as a place similar to Raven's Nevermore._

_Of course Slade would also use him as an assassin._

_As heroes, the Titans would've had to deal with Cinderblock before he hurt any innocents. And I'm betting they didn't expect it to take so long._

_Time: Two weeks later._

* * *

_**Ghostling,... The Bank,... The Beast,... How to Track a Ghost,... Demons and Drinks Don't Mix,... An Elimination Task for Ghostling,...**_

Ghostling writhed on the floor, emitting pitiful shrieks of sheer agony. In his torment filled world it was as if the pain was eternal; without beginning, and without end. Yet, as it always did, it eventually subsided. It was only then that he recalled the punishment came and went at his master's whim. Breathing hard, he trembled as he stood.

"As my assistant, reverting to your human form due to some trivial pain is unacceptable." Slade impassively spoke from a chair several feet away.

"Yes. Slade." Ghostling replied obediently.

"Try again. Dog form." The master criminal commanded.

Immediately the shape shifter became a small poodle, and once again his world became nothing but a burning fire that scorched every fiber of his being. Knowing it would only get worse if he changed back to his human shape, he struggled to remain in the form of the small animal. For five minutes, that seemed to last for five eternities, he stood unmoving until the all-consuming agony finally faded.

"Better. Eventually you will have to be able to fight while enduring such pain." His master informed him. "There will be plenty of time for that later."

Ghostling didn't reply as he merely stood, looking straight forward. Somewhere in his mind he knew that he'd once went by another name, but what it was escaped him. In the reflective surface of a blank monitor the figure studied his reflection. From head to toe, he was coated in a thin, flexible armor woven from a nearly indestructible thread made of synthetic diamond. How such a material could bend and not break he had no idea, just that it did. The fabric, that almost seemed to glow as it refracted any light that touched its surface, weighed just over thirty pounds. That, he knew, was very important. When he'd awoke with no memory of his past, his master had questioned him thoroughly on his ability to change shape. There'd been questions about where his clothes went when he changed into an animal, and how they managed to return when he resumed his human form. Experiments had shown he could carry up to three hundred pounds and make it vanish when he shape shifted. When he became human again it returned.

That had excited his master who had spoken of pocket dimensions and inter-dimensional travel along with astral projection. It made no sense to him. All he'd managed to figure out from the excited mutterings was that he somehow carried within him a small alternate space where his different shapes were stored for use. There'd been talk of psychic energy and how he had enough to carry three hundred pounds with him through some sort of portal. Useful, though the mechanics of it made no sense to him. While there'd been some attempts by his master to penetrate that space, they'd all ended in failure.

Silently, Ghostling resumed studying his reflection. His claws could still be extended at will despite the battle armor. Now though, the super-hard material coated them when he did so, making them sharper than any needle. Razor-like edges along his arms gave him an additional weapon. At his side was a bo staff.

_Formidable. _The silent figure admitted to itself.

"Another test." Slade spoke commandingly. "Rob a bank."

"Yes Slade." Ghostling spoke. There'd been similar tests for the last ten days; all successfully accomplished. This would be the sixth bank he'd robbed.

* * *

Taking a black cloak, he left the warehouse and took on the form of a humming bird. It was the best combination of speed and stealth. An eagle might be faster, but it would be more easily spotted. His name was Ghostling, given to him because he was supposed to move unseen. Unnoticed by mortal eyes, he was to roam among them, killing and stealing at his master's will. That, and the spooky appearance his battle armor had in the light.

_Which bank to hit this time? _The shape shifter wondered. A city of two million had more than a few, giving him plenty of choices. He chose the one on Albane Street. It was eight miles from the lair so it wouldn't draw any attention to them. _Plus the fact it's so far away means I'll be gone for a while. That I can stretch my wings. _The changeling silently mused. He had no memory of his past beyond his knowledge of fighting and other useful skills, but he still knew his master was trying to condition him. Images of Slade often flashed through his mind while his pleasure centers were stimulated. That he was being trained to be loyal was obvious.

Getting within a mile of his target, he circled around. Should he be spotted it would stop anyone from knowing which direction he'd come from. _And the extra distance means I'll be free for just a little while longer. _Ghostling noted with some satisfaction.

Half an hour after leaving the lair he changed into a gnat and landed a hundred feet from the entrance. The tiny form had a hard shell, so it wasn't totally defenseless. And being so small very few would be able to see him unless they were within a foot or two. Still being cautious, he choose to land on an old lady with thick glasses and hid behind her purse as she entered the bank. There would be cameras, and while he was small an insanely comprehensive scan of the video footage might spot him depending on the quality of the images. _Not that the bank is likely to have a security system with such resolution. _The green-skinned villain mused. _But better safe than sorry._

_Poor quality service. _The changeling apathetically noted some time later, still hiding behind the old lady's purse. Eventually he was at the bank counter where he carefully hid himself beneath the phone bill the old woman passed to the teller; cameras could be anywhere. As the redheaded bank worker took the folds of paper the shape shifter transferred himself to her.

It took another hour, but eventually he was in the bank vault. Still playing it safe, he hid beneath an envelope on a table. That he might've been spotted was impossible. Now came the risky party.

Ghostling studied the cameras in the vault. To grab the money he needed to use his human form, and that the security system would definitely spot. Studying the angle of the camera lenses, he found that every square foot of the vault floor was covered. So was most of the walls. Still, there was one place above one camera that was free of surveillance. Jumping, he became an amoeba, and stretched out his cell walls to let the air currents take him. The action allowed him glide to that one small spot. Landing on the camera he started to move with blinding speed.

Reverting to his human form he grabbed a can from his side and spray-painted the lens of the device. That opened up more space that wasn't covered by the security system, but the action meant he had only seconds to act. As a gnat he quickly followed a blind spot to the next camera and repeated the process. In less than ten seconds all four lenses were a glowing silver. The color would be one of his symbols as the Ghostling.

Dropping down to the floor, the shape shifter quickly started shovelling bundles of hundred-dollar bills into a sack. This was the point where he would most likely be spotted, but to anyone watching he knew the cameras would've just appeared to black out one after the other. It would take a brief period of time for security to react, and his ears were carefully tuned to the sound of any approaching footsteps. He would have time to disappear. And it that failed, his black cloak would hide his identity. Killing anyone who saw him was always an option. He hadn't had to do that yet, and was curious what it would be like.

Rapidly throwing stacking of cash into the bag he judged its weight. His armor and equipment was close to a hundred pounds, so he could carry at most two hundred more before he reached his three-hundred pound limit. Hearing footsteps, he became a gnat and flew to the table. As with his armor, the bag of stolen cash vanish. Two security guards peered in, and seeing the painted lenses of the cameras gave the alarm.

Calmly the thief judged the haul he'd just made. _Maybe a hundred and eighty pounds in hundred-dollar bills. Eight million. _With a sense of satisfaction, he became a gnat and leapt into the air where he become the amoeba again. He glided past the frantic security guards, and was soon outside the vault doors.

It took time, but eventually he made his way outside. There, as a gnat, the shape shifter put a mile between himself and the bank before returning to the form of a humming bird.

* * *

Half an hour later he enter the lair and resumed his human form. His clothes and equipment, along with the money, returned from wherever they went to when he changed shapes.

"How much." His master's calm voice inquired.

"Eight million in hundred-dollar bills." Ghostling replied, looking at the time. It'd taken him almost four hours. _Not bad. _He mused. _How many jobs pay two million an hour._ For a second a frown crossed his face. _Of course technically it's not mine. It's Slade's. So I actually got paid nothing._

"Anyone track you?" The tone demanded an immediate response.

"No."

"Were you spotted?"

"No."

"Good. Become the beast. Be sure to use your bo staff and armor."

_This will require focus. _The green-skinned shape shifter thought with some panic.

"Too slow." His master spoke.

Suddenly pain coursed through the teenager, and his world vanished into one of fire as his pain centers were stimulated. For all intents and purposes it was as if every inch of his skin was being burned off. Ghostling gasped, and nearly fell to his knees, but such weakness would only cause his master to prolong the torture. Struggling desperately not to scream, he clenched his teeth. The agony faded.

"Faster." Came the demand.

He shifted. Abandoning his human form, he called on the beast. But this time he picked what items to send along with his clothes to the unknown place where his shapes lurked. The beast stood nine feet tall, and weighed over seven hundred pounds. Possessing enhanced speed and strength, it was a deadly foe even when unarmed. This time though the shape shifter had retained his diamond-hard armor which had stretched to encompass his massive form. It was paper thin, but would still provide considerable protection. He took the bo staff from the loop at his side, and with a flick of his massive hand it grew longer. The weapon was over-kill. The armor had formed around his claws, giving them incredible strength and sharpness. His fangs were similarly enhanced. In effect, his natural weaponry was now made of synthetic diamond.

"Summon the rage." Slade ordered.

Even before he'd woken up to his master's tender care he'd been skilled in the martial arts. But Slade was just as skilled with a wider range of knowledge, and had taught the changeling a few new tricks. One of those was the summoning of the rage. It wasn't so much a skill as it was a spell. Something his teacher claimed few could master.

_'Vocat atra furor. Quaero de potestate tenebrarum noctis.'_ Ghostling silently incanted in his mind, and reached inside of himself much as he would with shape shifting. His strength and speed increased as a dark rage erupted within him. Gulping, he ignored the fury that demanded violence.

"Fight." His master's voice ordered as four Sladebots approached him. Pain coursed through him, and the villain, once known as Beast Boy, knew he was about to learn how to ignored the agony of being burned alive as he fought for his life. It was the way his master taught; pass the test and live, or fail and die.

With blinding speed the changeling stepped forward to met the attack, slamming his bo staff into the first of his cybernetic opponents. It was smashed more than a dozen feet backwards where it crashed into a wall. Twisting around, he charged the next one.

* * *

"He's hit another bank." Cyborg said, taking a seat at the table.

"That's six now. What's the total haul?" Robin asked with a sigh.

"Forty-five million, give or take a few hundred thousand." The titanium-clad Titan replied.

"Did anyone have any leads on who it might be?" Raven intoned, sipping at a cup of herbal tea. In front of her was a plate of real bacon and eggs, but for some reason what she really craved were the tofu ones.

"None." Boy Wonder replied. "Whoever it is can get in and out without leaving a trace other than the paint on the cameras. Without more to go on we have no way of ..." He shrugged. "We don't even know how's he's bypassing the security system. Whether it's a he or a she. Whether they're using technology or has the ability to turn invisible. Whether it's one person or a group. They're not leaving a single clue behind. Nothing." He ground his teeth together in frustration.

"I'm going to crush whoever it is." Raven growled, channeling Rage, and for a second she appeared to have four red, glowing, eyes. "He's taking us away from more important stuff."

"Yeah." Both Cyborg and Robin gulped at the sight.

The half demon stared at her cup, clasping it firmly. With Titans East's help they'd quickly cleared up all the low-level villains, and had expected to be able to focus fully on finding Beast Boy. Then someone had started robbing banks with impunity. For a while they'd thought it might be Slade using the shape shifter. But even if he could use his animals forms to sneak into the vaults, he would be stuck walking out with two hundred pounds of stolen cash. There was no way the green-skinned Titan could avoid the security cameras carrying that.

"How long before Titans East got to go back?" She asked.

"Kid Flash and Jinx are managing to hold out in Steel City." Robin answered. "While they're there there's no big rush."

"Good." She growled.

"Mas y Menos have just returned." Bumblebee said, walking in. "They didn't see anything. Aqualad claims the porpoises watching the shore are getting tired, and will be leaving soon. There's nothing he can do about it."

Raven nodded.

"Thanks." Robin answered.

"We'll have the bank robber soon." Cyborg informed them. "Thanks to Robin pulling some strings we've got a trap he can't escape no matter what tricks he's using."

"We can finally implement Project Gamma?" Bumblebee asked.

"Yeah. There might a hundred minor banks, but there're only twenty that carries the kind of cash he's been stealing. Robin's sources have provided us with two hundred thousand in hundred-dollar bills. They're coated with a film of cobal-60. We'll be able to detect the gamma-radiation it emits from anywhere in the city. When he steals them we got him."

"They delivered yet?" Raven intoned, staring at her plate.

"Yeah. Ten thousand at each bank. We've talked to the managers and they're making sure the marked bills don't get passed out accidentally."

"Good." She sighed and pushed the plate away.

Bumblebee frowned. "You got to eat honey."

"Later." The half demon replied.

"When was the last time you slept?" Bumblebee inquired, daring to reach out and pull down her hood.

Everyone around the table was shocked at her appearance. Bloodshot eyes, with a face that was pale and sickly looking. Her hair was a mess.

"Raven. Sleep." Robin ordered, staring.

"I don't need sleep." She insisted.

Bumblebee looked around the table. "Actually folks. You all look like ... Well, a lady doesn't use those sort of words." She stated. "But you'd all better get some sleep. The alarm will sound when the thief strikes, and none of you got the strength to fight in your condition. Right now a single Sladebot would wipe the lot of you out."

"I can't affor... Ouch!" Boy Wonder's eyes popped wide open as the no-nonsense woman grabbed his ear and twisted it.

"To bed." She ordered.

"Where's Starfire?" Raven wondered, standing.

"I put her to bed an hour ago. She crashed and demolished a house. Luckily she didn't hurt herself. Or anyone else for that matter." She gave another twist of Boy Wonder's ear, causing another small shriek of pain. "To bed." She ordered, speaking to all of them as she pulled their leader out through the door.

"That's one ... assertive woman." Cyborg mused, with an interested look.

"One assertive woman we better listen to." Raven tiredly intoned. "Besides, she's right. We're in no state to fight a bank thief, let alone Slade."

* * *

Three hours later the violet-haired girl woke with the screams of her dying friend ringing in her ears as she slowly crushed the life out of him with her dark magic. In the nightmare Slade had corrupted him, and he'd been about to release Trigon. Unable to help him, she'd ended his misery.

"That dream really sucked." She muttered to herself, sitting up. Her stomach was empty and she felt nauseous. _Probably shoud've ate something. _The half demon told herself. Knowing sleep wasn't going to come to her anytime soon, she stood and decided to see what was happening.

"Raven." Aqualad greeted her with a frown as she passed his open doorway. "You look like ..." He paused. "Are you okay?" He finally asked.

She shrugged, and entered his room. "They find anything yet?"

"Sorry. Given the thief only robbed a bank this morning he probably won't strike again until tomorrow at the earliest. Still no sign of Beast Boy." The Atlantean frowned. "You should be sleeping."

"Nightmare." The half demon intoned.

"Oh. Wait a second." Rummaging around he pulled out a small bottle and poured her a drink. "Atlantean brandy." He informed her. "A small sip should relax you."

She looked at the offered drink and shrugged. _What the heck? _The violet-eyed girl thought. _There's not enough to even cover the bottom of a regular cup. There's no way it can hurt me, and I really need to sleep. _She took it and drank. It burned going down, causing her to cough. Handing the glass back, she sat down on the edge of the bed. "The porpoises still there?" She asked. She licked her lips and swallowed, trying to get the horrible taste out of her mouth.

"Sorry. They left an hour ago. They don't care much about staying still, and I'm surprised they stayed as long as they did."

The girl blinked her eyes as she started to feel strange. It was as if something was separating her from her body.

"You really should try to get some sleep." Aqualad told her, looking concerned. "If you want I can help you relax." When she didn't resist his hands started to work on her shoulders, rubbing away the tension.

_What's wrong with me? _The girl wondered, struggling to speak. But neither her body nor her dark magic would respond.

Aqualad kept massaging the girl's shoulders, and as she didn't resist, moved his hands lower.

She slumped back against him, and he paused. Something tickled at her mind, and then faded.

"Raven?" The Atlantean asked, puzzled. "If you're sure." He finally added. Then his hands started to get more intimate, still massaging her as he tried to relax her.

_Stop! No! Stop! _She tried to scream. Neither her body nor her powers responded. Desperately she tried to project her thoughts to him. He was a telepath and would hear them, but her own mind refused to obey. _No! _She screamed, raging in fury to regain control of her body and mind as his hands worked lower. _No! Goddamn it! Stop! Stop! Stop!_

There could be no mistakes. She was an empath while he was a telepath. But she didn't like people probing her mind, and had shielded herself against such invasions. _If I can just open my mind he'll see. _She knew, and struggled to do just that. Her mind remained protected against such assaults as her power refused to answer even such a simple, desperate, plea.

_No! Please! Stop! _The half demon screamed in despair. She tried to push him away, but her arms remained relaxed and refused her anguished commands. His hands in the meantime didn't stop. They had no reason to. She was a powerful half-demon who could easily crush him. If she'd wanted him to stop, a single word, or even a single thought, would've made him halt immediately. She knew this, and watched with unbearable terror as he continued.

_No! Stop! Please Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! No! Damn it! Stop! _Her thoughts remained confined to her own mind, and her body refused to answer her desperate plea. Then Rage rose within her, full of fury, and took control. Her four eyes blazed a furious red, and dark power leapt forth to throw the offending Atlantean against the hard metal wall. "Stop." The demonic tone commanded.

"Raven!" The telepath gasped, as he finally saw into her mind and realized what he'd been doing. "I didn't know I..." He went silent, face pale as he experienced what she'd just went through. Clumsily he rose from the floor.

The red-clad emoticlone summoned her full power, letting pure fury burn through the intoxicant that would imprison them in their own body, and then teleported the shocked girl to her room. Still at the helm, Rage forced a healing trance on them that calmed the traumatized young woman. "Come to Nevermore." She commanded before she released control of the body she'd usurped.

An hour later, opening her eyes, Raven stared blankly at the ceiling, wondering what to do. She'd never drank before, and neither of them could've guessed what it would do to her. A single word would've stopped him. A single gesture, or even a single thought. She'd done neither. That such a small amount of whatever it was could have done that to her was unthinkable. Even a human child wouldn't have felt any affects from it. _The accursed half-demon part of me. _She realized.

For the first time in her life she was truly thankful for the red-clad emoticlone she called Rage. "Thank you." She sent the words into her mind and down to the part of her that represented her anger and many of her darker aspects.

Rising from her bed, she took very long shower, trying to wash away the feeling of his hands caressing her; touching her in way she didn't want. The water washed over her, and helped her relax. The healing trance Rage had put her into had worked miracles, having cleansed her system of many of the toxins stress and overwork had caused to build up. It was something so simple she wondered why she hadn't thought of it in the first place. _Because we're over worked and over stressed. _She pointed out the obvious answer to herself.

She considered what'd happened. He'd only been massaging her in a futile attempt to get her to relax. The violet-eyed girl shuddered. There were few people she liked touching her, and no one she wanted touching her like that. But she thought most of the panic had been from being paralyzed; from being blocked from her powers. There'd been the fear of what he might do, but with her empathic senses she knew he wasn't a bad guy. He'd been only trying to relax her.

"I've got bigger things to worry about." She suddenly decided aloud. "Like a very realistic nightmare of killing Beast Boy. Now that's freaking me out. His face as he died." The violet-eyed girl shuddered.

* * *

"Ghostling." Slade commanded.

"Yes master." The shape shifter obediently replied.

"A test." The master villain stated. "There's a bio-research company that has some research I want. Get the data and eliminate any test subjects they have. Make sure no one knows you were there."

"Yes. Slade." Ghostling replied with a smile. It seemed he would finally find out what it was like to kill someone. _About time. _He thought as his heart pounded rapidly with excitement.

* * *

The small research facility was a simple six-story building surrounded by an electrified wire-mesh fence and several guards. Half a mile above the place the shape shifter changed into a gnat, and flew down to the ordinary looking roof. It had a solid steel door with a keypad; against him it was less than secure. There was a draft around its edges, and in the form of an amoeba he let it draw him in.

It was simple to hitch a ride with a passing technician, and hop from person to person until he was riding atop the shiny bald head of the lead researcher. There was no way the oldish man could know the shape shifter was watching him as he entered a sparsely furnished office and typed in his password. Or that he was on his desk as he got up and left for a lunch break.

The office held a single camera, but its position didn't allow it to see under the desk. Rather it watched the door and the back of the computer. _Which makes sense_. The changeling mused. _If it could see the keyboard it would capture the password as it was being typed in. That definitely wouldn't be good protocol._

Either way, reaching from beneath the plain, wooden desk, Ghostling slipped a disk into the top-of-the-line machine and entered the password. The download took six minutes. Logging out, he left the office as he'd found it. No one would know he'd been there. And if they didn't know, then they wouldn't search for the minor traces he'd left on the computer. In a few days the researcher himself wouldn't be able to recall if he'd been logged in at that particular time or not. The minor traces would then become meaningless.

_Now. _The pleased villain thought to himself. _Time for some killing. _That turned out to be simple too. One just had to have _a lot_ of patience. Slade was teaching him all about that. The shape shifter shuddered at the memory of how his teacher often taught such lessons.

An hour later the lead researcher returned from his lunch break. After checking some files, and viewing a few porn sites, the first thing he did was to check on the research subjects; Ghostling happily hitched a ride with him. As the assassin-in-training had already been informed the three specimens were merely dogs. Slade had just been getting his hopes up when he mentioned killing.

_Leave no traces behind. _The shape shifter clearly recalled the order, and Slade didn't allow for mistakes. He slipped from the bald head he'd been riding, and dropped down to the first test subject. Crawling inside, he flowed through the creature's blood vessels until he reached the brain. There he became something larger. The animal died instantly from a massive stroke.

Confusion surrounded the dead animal as dozens of workers, frustrated at losing the potential research data, struggled to revive it. When that failed they went to work trying to figure out the cause of death. Shock ran through them as, ten minutes after the first death, a second animal let out a horrible screech of pain and collapsed from another massive stroke.

In the form an amoeba Ghostling watched the panic. Two of the three specimens were dead, and the researchers were in an uproar. Frantically they were checking what drugs they'd given to the animals and in what amounts. Practically coming to blow, arguments started and tempers flared. Pleased, the shape shifter entered the third dog and quickly killed it. Around it some of the researchers attacked each other, and had to be pulled apart. Others were crying at the loss of the third canine, and the setback it entailed

The shape shifter left them in tears as they loudly cursed and swore, knowing they would assume something went wrong with the research. No one would suspect their security had been breached.

Ghostling left as he'd arrived. Hitching a ride to the roof and leaving through the poorly installed door. A mile from the grieving researchers he dropped the form of a gnat and became a humming bird. He was pleased with the worked he'd done, and hoped Slade would be too. He dreaded the thought of what might happen if the psychotic master criminal were to ever become truly displeased with him.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Beast Boy is wondering what it's like to kill. And hoping Slade will send him on such a mission.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	5. Chapter 5

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replied to reviews:_

_Chapter four was modified to make what happened to Raven less severe. And to make Aqualad appear less evil. My apologies for any confusion altering the chapter caused._

_Inland Taipan Snake: One bite can kill up to a hundred full-grown men. Death takes as little as 30-45 minutes. Without the antivenom death is certain._

_I'm not sure which emoticlone is my favorite, but Rage would certainly be up there. So she gets included._

_Slade might be training Beast Boy to be a replacement, ie apprentice, but that doesn't mean he's going to go easy on him. Doubt that would be his style._

_Phrase: 'Vocat atra furor. Quaero de potestate tenebrarum noctis' Should translate as: 'I summon the dark fury. I demand Power from the darkness of the night.' But who know just how trustworthy Google Translator is._

_Time: The next morning._

* * *

_**A Dreaming Girl,... Off With His Head,... Starfire and Raven Talk,... Tracking a Ghost,... Fighting a Ghost,... Aftermath,...**_

_Why is there an arm over my face? _Raven wondered. The rising sense of panic immediately vanished as she realized the offending limb was tinted orange. _Starfire. _She realized as she recalled the previous night. Feeling miserable, and not wanting to be alone, she'd begged the bubbly Titan to let her crash in her room. The girl had been only too happy to oblige. There'd been some dispute over sleeping arrangements. Raven didn't want to share a bed, and had declared that the floor was quite suitable. The other girl would have nothing to do with that, and had pointed out if anyone should sleep on the hard metal floor it was her since she was super strong. In the end, with the violet-eyed girl not willing to throw her friend out of her own bed, they'd ended up building a small wall of pink pillows to divide it in two. It seemed in her sleep the orange-skinned alien had breached the barricade, and drapped one arm across the face of her friend.

With a small sigh the half demon let herself sink down in the comfort of the very pink and very girly room. The blankets were pink, the walls were pink, the dresser was pink,... The half demon closed her eyes to block out the overly cheerful color. Then, opening them again, she carefully lifted the offending limb and gently placed it on the pile of pillows. Immediately the eye-blinding pink object was clasped and drawn closer to the redhead.

"Hmmm. Robin." The orange-skinned girl sighed in her sleep.

_At least someone is having pleasant dreams. _Raven thought, watching as the girl peacefully slept.

"Robin." Came another quiet whisper as Starfire smiled into the pillow.

Raven watched, fascinated. This was the first time she'd had a sleepover, if one could call it that. _Who would've guessed she dreamed of Robin. _She quietly mused with just a hint of sarcasm. Her lips turned up in a slight smile. _At least it seems he pays attention to her in her sleep._

"Beast Boy." The sleeping girl moaned happily, hugging the pillow even tighter.

"Whaa..." Raven peered closer at the smiling teenager. _She dreams about Beast Boy? _She wondered, surprised.

"Mmmm." The no longer peacefully sleeping girl moaned as her face became flushed.

"Eeek!" The half demon gasped, as she realized her friend's dreams had taken a turn from peaceful to amorous. With her face turning a bright red, she teleported back to her own room.

* * *

Staring up at the more familiar surroundings, a question came to her. "So. Was that dream about Robin or Beast Boy?" The violet-eyed girl wondered aloud, feeling a guilty desire to return and watch to see if the sleeping girl gave any hints. Viciously, she crushed the compulsion. _At least she's not dreaming of killing him like I did. _She thought, recalling the nightmare that'd repeated itself several times during the night. _It's a wonder I didn't trash her room._ It'd been only the fact that Starfire was super strong that'd allowed her to risk the sleepover. There'd been little chance that her dark magic running loose would hurt the nearly indestructible orange-skinned alien.

With a sigh, Raven rose and went to take a shower. There'd been no alarms, so the bank robber hadn't stuck yet. And if there'd been any word about Beast Boy she would've been informed immediately. Try as she could, she couldn't get the thought of Starfire's dream out of her mind. _Was it about Robin or Beast Boy? _The question was driving her crazy. Given the way she suppressed many of her emotions she'd never had such a dream herself. Nightmares were the best she could do in that department.

Twenty minutes later she picked up the mirror that was her portal to Nevermore, and entered the weird landscape that was the inside of mind.

* * *

"What's up?" She quietly intoned, taking a seat beside Knowledge. All her emoticlones were scattered around a clearing, which was in a bizarre forest where the trees looked like cotton candy, and strawberries floated in the air. The sky was a cheerful yellow.

"Not much." Knowledge admitted, looking up from the book she was reading.

"Then why did Rage say I should visit?"

"Because you've been too busy the last few weeks to meditate. It's going to cause you to have a breakdown." The yellow-clad emoticlone replied.

"Oh." Raven pondered that and considered it might be true. "Sort of busy. Things will return to normal when Beast Boy is back. At least then I'll stop having those nightmares."

"And what if you got to kill him?" Rage asked, stepping forward. There was a scowl on her face.

She looked up at the red-clad emoticlone who she rarely saw. The embodiment of her darker side rarely associated with the others except to argue. "I won't." The violet-eyed girl insisted. 'We'll save him and things will go back to normal." She swallowed her fear, hoping that was the case. In her mind she recalled the shape shifter's final gasp for air as, in her nightmares, she killed him. The half demon shuddered. "Why do you care anyway?" She asked.

"Since he drank Cyborg's blood, and shredded Robin's dignity, she's been ..." The yellow-clad emoticlone paused. "How should I put this?" She wondered aloud. "Basically I think she's in love with Beast Boy." She finished with a shrug.

"Whaa?" Raven tipped over backwards from the shock, and rolled back to her feet. Turning, she stared up at Rage. "Since when can she feel love? I thought that was Affection's department."

Knowledge frowned. "You know better than that." She explained, as if to a disobedient child. "All of us can feel the full range of emotions that you can. It's just that we each personify certain ones. Imagine what Brave would be like without the rest of us to restrain her impulses. She would be ramming her head against a rock to show how courageous she is."

"Hey." Brave spoke up, sounding offended.

"Sorry." Knowledge replied, pushing her spectacles back in place. She smiled at her fellow emoticlone affectionately.

Raven nodded. "I knew that." She admitted. "I just never thought ..." She looked at the still scowling red-clad emoticlone. "Thanks for ..." She swallowed without finishing the statement.

"We all have our place." Knowledge spoke again. "Even Rage. Her fury caused a vast release of adrenaline, which burned the intoxicant from your system."

"So you ... umm ... like Beast Boy?" The violet-eyed girl stated, looking at Rage again.

The emoticlone nodded.

"He's my friend. So I'm going to make sure we get him back in one piece." She tried to reassure the emoticlone who she now realized also looked worried. Given they were parts of her, and knew what she was thinking, the effort proved futile. They all knew each day the shape shifter spent in Slade's care was bad news. The violet-eyed girl clenched her teeth and tried to keep from crying.

"And if we don't?" Timid asked, sounding less faint-hearted than she usually did.

Raven turned to see that the personification of fear within her looked angry, and not just fearful. _That's weird. _She thought. _Rage is worried, and Timid is angry._

"If we kill Slade then he'll never be able to hurt BB again." Happy spoke in a tone that was less than cheerful. The pink-clad emoticlone looked up at the bright yellow sky, and a black blast of energy smashed down to smite a nearby tree of pink cotton candy. "Bang! One dead Slade." The pink-clad emoticlone yelled.

Raven gulped.

"All is fair in love and war." Affection stated firmly. "We love him like a brother." She added when the violet-eyed girl turned to stare at her.

"Slaying an evil beast is a courageous thing to do." Brave added, frowning. "So is saving a friend from one. I vote we kill Slade too."

"It would make sure that he didn't cause any more problems." Knowledge mused. "And that he doesn't hurt us anymore."

"How can we be lazy if we got to deal with him all the time?" Sloth yawned. "Killing him is the easiest solution. I bet in a nice jail cell we would get lots of rest."

"He's caused us enough trouble." Rude burped and shrugged. "We don't even have the time or energy to be sarcastic anymore. Off with his head!"

* * *

"Holy Azarath." Raven gulped as she left Nevermore. "What am I? Some sort of raving monster? Every aspect of me wants to kill." She swallowed. "Even Happy for crying out loud." She gulped again, feeling the fury that burned in her.

A knock at the door interrupted her monologue, and she reached out to open it.

"Morning friend Raven." Starfire spoke, entering cautiously. While the two of them sometimes meditated together, she rarely entered the other's room.

"Morning." The half demon intoned back, noting the orange-skinned alien hadn't used 'glorious morning' since Beast Boy had been kidnapped.

"You left early?"

"I woke up before you did and I didn't want to disturb you." Raven answered apathetically.

"Oh." The girl frowned. "I am a restless sleeper. I hope I did not keep you awake."

"No. I slept fine."

"Anyone special in your dreams." Raven clasped her hand over her mouth, having spoke before she realized it.

"I had several dreams." Starfire answered. "Some were of friend Robin. Some were of friend Beast Boy." The ever-jubilant girl frowned. "I do hope we find him soon. I am worried."

"I'm worried too." The violet-eyed girl admitted apathetically, wondering if any of the more amorous dreams were of Beast Boy. _And why would I care it they were? _She pondered.

"Do you think friend Beast Boy is cute?" Starfire asked.

The empath's eyes went wide. "Why do you ask?" She intoned as impassively as she could.

"I like friend Robin. But it is going nowhere. He cares only for work and refuses to see me as anything but a friend." The redheaded girl paused. "But Beast Boy thinks I am exotic looking."

"He what?" Raven asked, surprised. "How do you know he thinks you're exotic looking?" She explained, seeing the girl's confused expression.

"He told me."

"Oh." The violet-eyed empath didn't know what to say to that.

"I have known friend Robin for more than two years." Starfire added. "He has yet to kiss me. I know friend Beast Boy would have kissed me many times by now. I am Tamaranean and it hurts to suppress my feelings. He is kind and smart. I am thinking it is time to move on."

"Oh." She still didn't know what to say. But inside she could almost hear Rage growling, 'Mine. Hands off.' She blinked as she could've sworn Happy piped up saying, 'Don't touch my Beastie.'

"Do you think Beast Boy and I would make a good couple?"

Raven gave it some though, realizing for some reason she didn't like the image her mind was painting. "Maybe." She admitted reluctantly. Both were good, caring, people. And the girl was right. The shape shifter wouldn't leave her pining for a kiss for two years. If he felt that way about the orange-skinned alien he would return all the affection she wanted.

Starfire nodded. "So do I." It was spoken almost sadly. "Too bad he loves another."

"Whaa." Raven shook her head, getting tired of being taken by surprise by what the orange-skinned alien said.

"When I asked, he said I was pretty and exotic looking." The other girl explained. "But his eyes held no interest. I do not know much of earth customs, but if he liked me in that way he would have shown it. Instead he tried to get friend Robin to give me compliments, and told me I should ride on the back of his motorcycle."

"How does that tell you he likes someone?" Raven wondered.

"Boys like girls." Starfire explained, as if confused the half demon couldn't understand something so simple. "Unless they are in love with another, a boy will look at a girl they think is cute with interest. Friend Beast Boy did not look at me that way, and has no interest. Another has his attention."

"Oh. The half demon once again didn't know what to say. Inside she could almost hear Rage ask in a growl, 'Who?' Happy she imagined was frowning as she said, 'No fair stealing my Beastie.' With a sigh she rubbed her head.

"Are you okay friend Raven?"

"Yeah. It's just a little crowded in here." The violet-eyed girl intoned, still rubbing her head.

"I am sorry. I did not mean to intrude in your room." Starfire went to leave.

"No." Raven stopped her. "I just meant it was crowed in here." She pointed at her head.

"Oh." Clearly the girl was confused.

"Doesn't Robin looked at you with ... interest?" The half demon wondered.

"He does. So I know he likes me. But his work is all-consuming. There is no room in his life for me." The orange-skinned girl sat down, being on the brink of tears.

"I'm sure ..." Her voice trailed off. She wasn't sure. Boy Wonder was pretty obsessed a lot of the time.

* * *

The alarm drew their attention and Raven reached out, teleporting both of them down to the commons room. Cyborg was at a console grinning like a demon.

"He's taking the bait." The titanium-clad Titan exclaimed savagely. "He's robbing the bank on Balrog Street."

"Let go Titans." Robin exclaimed, rushing for his motorcycle with Starfire on his heels.

Raven teleported to the roof and levitated into the air, following the T-car as it raced from the garage. Much as she wanted to rush ahead, the bank robber seemed capable and was best faced as a group.

"Where's Titans East?" She asked, speaking into her communicator.

"Bumblebee was searching for Beast Boy. She'll meet us at the bank. Speedy is with me." Cyborg replied. "Aqualad left early this morning to recruit more sea animals to watch the shore. He isn't back yet. Unfortunately Mas y Menos made a trip to Steel City to help Kid Flash and Jinx with a very slippery small-time villain."

Raven suppressed the urge to curse. "That wasn't good timing. With their speed they would've been at the bank by now, and could've slipped in and took a look at him."

"I know." Cyborg replied.

Suddenly the T-car slowed.

"What's wrong?" The half demon asked, wanting only to get to the bank.

"The signal disappeared. It was coming right from the bank, clear as day. And then nothing." The titanium-clad Titan sounded as if he was on the brink of either a screaming fit, or bursting into tears. "Damn." He added vehemently. "This isn't possible. The sensors I'm using are based on Gordanian technology. They should be able to spot the trace from anywhere in the city."

"Using a bag that blocks the gamma rays?" Raven fumed with no trace of her facade remaining.

"No. It would have to be massive to do that." The enraged cybernetic Titan replied. "It would just make sneaking pass the security system harder."

"It couldn't just disappear." Robin cut in, sound obsessed.

"Maybe he moves underground?" Raven suggested, for once agreeing with her leader's obsession.

"They would've left traces. The floors of the other vaults he penetrated were unmarked." Cyborg answered.

"He couldn't have just disappeared." Robin repeated violently. "Find something." He ordered the cybernetic Titan.

"There's nothing to find!" Came the yelled response from the frustrated cybernetic teen.

* * *

"Ghostling." Slade spoke, looking up from the battered remains of a dozen Sladebots he'd been using to instruct his pupil.

"Yes. Slade." Came the obedient reply.

"You've done well. What reward would you like?" The master criminal's voice contained a hint of satisfaction.

"I want to kill someone." Ghostling replied, eager to know what the feeling was like.

"In time. That is your one flaw. Killing without a reason would just make you a butcher, and they rarely last long." The villain instructed his student. "Choose something else."

"Rob a bank?" The shape shifter asked, wondering if that would be okay. It was fun, and if he was spotted then killing was allowed.

"Do so." Slade commanded.

"Yes master." The changeling smiled. Taking his cloak, he strolled confidently from the room.

* * *

As before, patiently skipping from host to host, the green-skinned thief gained access to a bank vault. _I often used people to move about. _Ghostling mused. _Maybe a better name for me would be Parasite._ Behind a small case he moved around as a gnat, and stretched his wings. This place was going to be easy; it had only three cameras, leaving numerous blind spots he could use.

People came and went, not leaving the vault empty long enough for the shape shifter to act. He patiently waited, studying his surroundings as he did so, and planned his next move. Eventually his gaze came to rest on the shelves holding the stacks of hundred-dollar bills he would be grabbing. Ghostling frowned. In the form a fly he could see the heat energy of objects, and something was wrong. As he waited an old white-haired man in a fancy suit entered and peered around. He checked the stacks of cash the green-skinned thief had been looking at, and then left with a satisfied smile.

Tracking devices emitted energy. In his various animals form the shape shifter could often see them. But as he looked, he could detect nothing from the piles of cash other than a tiny bit of excess heat. _But why would one stack of hundred-dollar bills be warmer than the rest? _He wondered. It made no sense.

Then the vault was empty, and the only footsteps he could hear was in the distance. Ghostling moved immediately, using his gnat form to follow a blind spot up to the first camera, and painted its lens a glowing silver. The other two soon followed.

When stacks of cash are in bundles of ten-thousand dollars it doesn't take long to grab eight million. You just open a bag and scoop in a dozen or more bundles at a time. In thirty seconds the changeling was ready, and fled the scene of the crime as a gnat with the money safely stashed wherever things went when he transformed.

Exiting the vault he flew high, and changed into an amoeba. He got lucky, and the draft within the building allowed him to glide as far as the doors which were in the process of being shut and locked as security reacted. That didn't stop him as he easily moved through what appeared to a vast cavern, using a small crack to escape. Outside the wind picked him up and sent him flying. There was no rush, and he let it take him over a mile from the site of the crime before he changed into a humming bird.

_Mistake. _Ghostling decided, as he circled around, thinking. _There was something different about that particular stack of bills, and I should've left it behind. Better to abandon it than take it back to the lair._ With the beating of his wings he looked around for a safe place to land, and choose the roof of the tallest building he could see. In minutes he was perched on it and resumed his human form.

* * *

Raven had landed beside the T-car, wanting to howl in frustration. Bumblebee had joined her, while Robin had driven up carrying Starfire behind him.

"Keep scanning." Their leader commanded. "We don't what happened, so it might return. In fact I'm betting it will."

"Why do you think that?" Bumblebee asked.

"Whatever method the thief used to steal the money, he's eventually going to want to spend it. It will show up then."

"That could take ... forever." Cyborg moaned. "He's not like the other villains. For all we know he could be stockpiling it, and won't be spending it for years."

"I know." Boy Wonder fumed, nearly screaming. "But it's the only hope we got." He sighed. "If only Mas y Menos had been here. They might've got to the bank in time to have at least got a description."

Raven stood silently, suppressing the red-clad emoticlone that wanted to take over and tear the city apart.

BEEP!

The sound made them all jump.

Cyborg stared at the source of the sound as if unable to believe what he saw. "He's nearby. In fact he's up there. On the roof." He point to the top of a slender, though very tall, building. It was only a few hundred feet away.

Raven reached out and grabbed Robin, Cyborg, and Speedy with her dark powers. Rising, she aimed for the place the cybernetic Titan had pointed too. Bumblebee and Starfire rose beside her. In seconds they were on the roof top, having just passed through a small cloud of hundred-dollar bills.

* * *

Ghostling had landed, and had sorted through the bag to find the offending stack of bills. Having found it, he'd ripped the ribbon off and tossed it over the side of the building. In another two seconds he would've been back in the form of a humming bird. In two more he would've been safely out of sight.

"Hold it." A woman's voice commanded.

The shape shifter froze, frowning. Then he smiled. _I'm going to get to kill someone. _He realized with excitement. Standing, he watched the woman who seemed to walk on air as she landed on the roof top. Around her hands there was some sort of darkness which led to a sphere that contained three other people. Two other women flew down join them. _I'm going to get to kill a lot of people. _The green-skinned changeling thought. His smile once again became a frown.

_Too many people. If I kill one or two, then the others will just flee. They'll live, and that's against orders. _He considered the problem for a few seconds as he watched the blue-clad girl approach. _There's a way around that._ He mused, happy once again.

"Time for you to go to jail." Raven growled, not recognizing the figure in the shimmering armor. "But first you're going to tell us who you are, how you manged to steal that money, and who you work for."

He remained quiet, watching. For some reason she seemed familiar. Too familiar. _Someone I knew before I woke up with Slade. _He decided.

"Hands out." Boy Wonder ordered, marching confidently forward.

Ghostling studied the Titan as he approached, and decided he would rather watch the girl with the violet-hair. Someone about her ... He pushed the thought away, and prepared to fight. He placed his hands out, and waited with a smile.

Raven frowned nervously, doubting the shimmering figure was going to allow himself to be captured that easily. But it was six Titans against one villain who'd yet to show any fighting skills. _Maybe he's just a thief, and not a fighter. _She hoped, and then sighed in relief as the cuffs went around his hands with a firm sounding click.

The shape shifter changed to an amoeba as the cuffs clicked around his wrists, knowing the strangers would be sighing in relief at that time. Immediately he resumed his human form just a foot away, holding the offending restraints.

_He teleported. _Raven thought with surprise. _Or was it something else?_

"Vocat atra furor. Quaero de potestate tenebrarum noctis." Ghostling silently incanted, and felt the rush of strength, along with the fury that embraced him.

"He's using magic." Raven immediately stated. "Some sort of self-enhancing spell." The spell only confirmed her beliefs they faced a magic user of some sort.

"Give it up. It's six to one." Cyborg demanded, raising his sonic cannon.

He remained quiet; silent like a ghost. A smoke grenade dropped from his hand and he moved. A blast of sonic energy ripped through where he'd just been standing. Blast blasts of dark magic sliced through the smoke. A single starbolt hit him, but the armor he wore was designed to defend against energy attacks, and the strange, orange-colored, girl hadn't been trying to kill him.

Hidden by the cloud of smoke he became an Inland Taipan snake, and stuck through the darkness to sink his fangs into his nearest foe. The heat his enemies radiated told him where they were at, and he slithered along the roof top to strike at the next one who carried a bow and arrow. Less than three seconds had passed, and already two of them were dead even though they didn't know it yet. The venom would kill them, just not immediately. Used to the pain of battle, he doubted the insignificant bites he'd made had even registered.

The smoke started to clear and he resumed his human form. Another grenade flew from his hands. This time the first one he struck was a woman with wings. She looked something like a bumblebee. The next was a half-cybernetic man. But parts of that foe were flesh as well, and his fangs easily found their mark. The violet-eyed girl was next to him, but for some reason he hesitated to strike her. Doing so would feel wrong. _But what does wrong mean? _The shape shifter wondered.

The smoke started to clear, and he resumed his human form once more. _Just the orange-skinned one and the violet-eyed one left. _Ghostling calculated, as he prepared to drop another grenade.

"RAVEN!" Cyborg screamed. "Teleport us back to the car. Now!"

"No." Robin countered the command. "We got him."

Raven paused.

"Damn it Rae. Now, or we're all dead." The Titanium-clad Titan screamed in a panic.

* * *

She reached out and gathered them to her, and teleported. "Why?" She asked, demanding there be a good explanation.

"Why?" Their leader also demanded, face red. "We had him."

"No. He had us. We need to get back to the tower now. Everyone, check yourselves for any bite marks. In the car." The titanium-clad Titan ignored their questions and commanded obedience which they gave. For him to act in such a way meant something was wrong.

"Leg. Two bites." Robin answered, fuming.

"Wrist. Two bites." Speedy replied with a frown.

"Side. Two bites." Bumblebee put in.

"Me too." Cyborg responded. "He got me twice in the neck."

"So. They're insignificant marks." Robin growled.

"Actually my cybernetic systems are freaking out. They're giving off red alerts like crazy." The cybernetic teen replied, sounding petrified. "He used poison."

"How bad?" Raven intoned, looking worried.

"Bad. I haven't analyzed what it is yet, but my systems say I got enough toxins in me to kill me two hundred times over."

"Two hundred!" Robin and Bumblebee gasped.

Everyone in the car turned a few shades paler as it hurtled towards the tower at top speed.

* * *

Ghostling frowned as he took the bag of stolen money and changed into an amoeba. The wind blew him a mile from the scene of the fight before he took on the form of a humming bird again and headed towards the lair. Whoever the people had been, they weren't supposed to have known he was striking like that. When he'd infected all of them, he'd planned to fight normally in the form of the beast and wear them out. Eventually the poison would've weakened them, making them easy prey. Of course four of them were already dead, but he doubted Slade would be pleased.

_And I didn't get to see them die. _He mused, frustrated. An image of violet eyes appeared in his mind. _But would I want to see her die? _He wondered. _Yes! _A part of him screamed. But somewhere inside there can another reply. _No. _

The frowning shape shifter placed the money on a table and waited..

"Did anyone spot you?" Slade questioned.

"Yes." He immediately replied, heart pounding as he waited for his punishment.

"Who? How?" The questions demanded an immediate reply.

Ghostling spoke of how some of the money had seemed strange, and his mistake in taking it. That he'd planned to get rid of it, but had been spotted. In detail he described those who he'd fought, and how the fight had ended.

"I see." Came the cold response. "I'm displeased you took something when you knew it might be a trap. And I doubt those you bit will die."

"How could they live?" He questioned. Slade was a harsh teacher, but he welcomed all questions so long as they didn't deal with who he'd been before he'd woke up as his master's apprentice.

"One of the girls you described is a healer. If anyone can keep those four alive it's her. She's dangerous."

"I see." He waited, wondering what the punishment would be.

"Six Titans. And you forced them to retreat without a single mark on yourself. I'm please." There was a long pause. "You're formidable in combat. Quick thinking and powerful. I see no fault with your actions there. You thought of a superb strategy, and implemented it with almost no time to prepare. So I will not kill you. For taking something you thought was a trap you will practice fighting while in pain for an hour."

Ghostling sighed in relief. He would live.

"Form of the beast. Use armor and bo staff." Came his master's command.

He obeyed, calling on the shape while retaining the items he'd been instructed to use. Then there came pain that burned his flesh as though he were on fire. Then the Sladebots attacked, and he was forced to fight if he wished to survive.

* * *

The T-car pulled into the Tower's garage where Raven teleported them to the clinic. The drive had taken over four minutes, and already three of the four who'd been bitten were feeling the effects. The inside of the T-car was covered in blood from the small bites where they'd tried to bleed the toxin out. Throwing up seemed to be one of the affects of the poison, and the vehicle was now coated in vomit.

Cyborg, his biological functions starting to feel the affects of the toxin as much as anyone else, was obviously struggling to remain working. "It'll take a while to analyze our blood and find out what he used." He informed them, just as he turned and threw up over the floor. "If I didn't hate that guy before, I do now." He moaned, sitting down to wait while his computers finished the analysis.

Aqualad walked in and saw the chaos. "What happened?" He asked, eyes going wide.

Raven placed a brief summary of the fight in her mind and let him view it.

"Oh." He turned pale. "What can I do?"

A machine beeped. "Inland Taipan snake venom." Cyborg moaned. "I'm putting out a call to nearby hospital to see if they got any antivenom."

It took five minutes, and proved a failure. Jump City and its surrounding areas wasn't exactly known for the deadly snake, or any snakes for that matter. They would be dead before it got to them. Still the cybernetic Titan ordered it.

"How bad?" Robin asked.

"Bad." The titanium-clad Titan replied. "We've got enough of the toxin in each of us to kill us two hundred times over. We're dead." He turned to look at Raven.

"I can heal wounds, but this isn't a wound." She pointed out. "Whatever I do the venom will still be in your blood."

"But the venom kills by causing damage to the body." Aqualad pointed out. "If you can heal the damage as it's done until it passes through their system..." He shrugged.

The half demon frowned as she considered the idea. "Maybe." She admitted. "How long would it take?" She asked.

"The nearest antivenom is an hour away, and it's already being rushed here." He answered. "So an hour, and however long it takes to work."

Fifteen minutes later Robin's kidneys failed, and Raven worked to heal the damage. Two minutes after that Speedy's failed. Then Bumblebee started to have problems breathing... For an hour the violet-eyed girl worked nonstop, feeling her energy level quickly drop.

Aqualad worked alongside her, forcing fluid in them to keep them hydrated. When both Bumblebee and Speedy stopped breathing at the same time, he performed CPR on Speedy while she worked to heal Bumblebee first.

Starfire sped around the place, getting whatever they called out for. When not doing that she kept an eye on them incase they stopped breathing and no one noticed.

Then the antivenom arrived, and things slowly got better. It countered the poison, allowing Raven a few brief breaks in between healing the near-death Titans.

An hour after that she collapsed, having drained every last bit of her energy to keep her four friends alive.

Starfire moved around, cleaning up and keeping an eye on things. The four who'd been poisoned had managed to hold out long enough, and would live. Though until Raven recovered some of her strength, and finished healing them, they would be bedridden.

* * *

Ghostling felt the pain fade, and smashed the last of the Sladebots away. One after the other he'd damaged, or destroyed, more than twenty of the deadly cybernetic minion in the hour Slade had punished him. Wearily, he staggered to the room his master had given him. It was simple, holding just a small bed and a chest where he could store his equipment. The walls were a faded green, while the ceiling had greyish looking tiles. The floor was bare stone. On the bed there were a few sheets.

Lying down, he sought to sleep. The image of the girl Slade had called Raven came to his mind. _I know her. _He thought, recalling how familiar she'd appeared. _I hope I don't have to kill her._

* * *

End of Chapter.

Chapter was a bit longer than expected, yet so little of it was fight scenes. Sorry.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	6. Chapter 6

**I do NOT own Teem Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_Phrase: "Mortem deos, accipiatis collectam Meam, et percuterent mortale hoc. Donum animam meam ad vitam." Should translate as: "Death Gods, take my offering, and strike this mortal. A gift of my life, for his life."_

_Raven doesn't consider Beast Boy a magic user. Thought that might change._

_Time: The next morning._

* * *

_**Wrong and Right,... Hope,... A Meeting,... Kill the Titans,... The Decision,... Killing a Robot,... Tracking a Foe,... Death God Cometh,...**_

Ghostling awoke with a single image in his mind, along with a single question. The image was of a blue-clad girl who seemed to wield dark powers. She could walk on air, throw blasts of black energy, and even teleport. Her eyes and hair were a vivid violet color, while her skin was a shade he'd never seen before. The question was simply, what is right and what is wrong? That he knew the young woman he was certain.

_What is 'wrong'? _The shape shifter asked himself, and let the question roll around in his mind. '_Wrong' is to disobey Slade. _He decided; that was simple. Right was just as straightforward. '_Right' is to obey Slade. _He knew this to be a fundamental truth. Yet, from somewhere deep within him, there came another answer. '_Wrong' would be to hurt the woman called Raven. 'Right' would be to make her smile. _For some reason his chest ached when he thought of her. She'd been surrounded by people, yet seemed to have stood alone amongst them. Determination and fury had appeared to radiate from her like some sort of mystical energy. His heart raced as he recalled the short fight, but the battle had nothing to do with it. The image of the woman was all he saw as he remembered the brief struggle. _She's powerful._ Ghostling mused. _Maybe if those around her were killed, then Slade would accept her as an apprentice. That could be ... fun._

* * *

Raven awoke twice during the long night. The first time she used her power to heal Robin and Bumblebee who seemed to be the worst hit by the toxin. The second time she drained herself to finish healing Cyborg and Speedy. That done, she'd collapsed into a deep, nightmare filled, sleep.

The third time she awoke it was to the view of an orange limb lying across her face. Around her there was only pink upon everlasting pink. It made her want to close her eyes again. _What am I doing in Starfire's room? _She wondered, as she removed the offending limb, noticing there was once again a shattered barricade of pillows between them. This time the young woman stirred as her arm was lifted away, and sat up.

"Morning friend Raven." Starfire spoke. "Why are you holding my arm?"

"It was on my face." The half demon intoned, still grasping the orange-tinted limb. She released it.

"I am sorry. Tameraneans dream a lot, and move in their sleep." The redheaded alien apologized.

"Why am I in your room?"

"You were tired, and I wished to keep an eye on you. I am sorry if I did wrong."

"No. Thanks." Raven closed her eyes and settled back beneath the sheets that were, of course, a bright pink. She didn't want to be alone, and here it was warm and comfortable. "What did you dream about?" She asked, curious.

"That we found Beast Boy and he was well. It was a very nice dream. When he returned he and I ..." The voice trailed off.

Raven opened one eye to peer at the red-faced girl. "If that blushing means what I think it does, then you might want to leave out some of the details." She intoned.

"Indeed." Starfire agreed wholeheartedly, turning even redder. "I have hope he will be found well." She added, sounding halfway confident.

"Why." The violet-eyed girl turned on her side to peer at the orange-skinned alien, needing to hear her thoughts if they were reassuring.

"He was kidnapped, not killed." Starfire said. "Obviously Slade did not intend to kill him." Her eyes widen a little, and she turned to face the half demon. "I just had an idea. Slade wanted Robin as an apprentice, and he wanted Terra as an apprentice. Might he not want friend Beast Boy as an apprentice?"

"I never thought of that." Raven admitted, considering the idea and what it might imply. The dwindling flame of hope she had within her steadied, and burned a little brighter.

"Don't you see friend Raven." Starfire eagerly spoke. "If that is the case then he will not hurt friend Beast Boy. He did not hurt Robin, nor did he hurt Terra. That means friend Beast Boy would be ..." She paused. "He would be physically fine, even if not quite well."

"Why would Slade want him as an apprentice?" The half-demon wondered aloud. "He doesn't have the technical skills of Robin, nor the power that Terra had." Still, the idea made perfect sense.

"Thief and assassin." Starfire promptly replied. "He might not have the sheer power of someone like Terra, but his ability to change shapes means no one would be safe from him."

Something inside of her tried to reject the idea of Beast Boy being an assassin; the idea that he might kill. It was just too unlike him. Yet, she knew if Slade could corrupt him, then the whole concept made sense. "No one would be safe." Raven agreed. The idea brought hope that he might be alive, while she shuddered at what the psychotic monster called Slade might have done to her friend to make him a murderer.

_He's alive. I know he is. _The thought burned within the mind of violet-eyed girl who'd been falling into despair. There'd been no signs of Beast Boy for so long, and the bank thief had turned out to be a pretty savage villain who'd nearly killed them all. But now the half demon actually gave a small smile, and pulled a startled Starfire over to hug her. "He's alive, and whatever Slade did to him we'll fix." She stated, making the words an oath.

* * *

Two hours later the combined Titans of Titans East and Titans West assembled for a meeting.

"What did you learn from about the bank robber?" Robin asked, looking and sounding exhausted.

"Uses magic." The half demon intoned impassively, watching Boy Wonder. She'd told all four who'd been poisoned with the Inland Taipan venom to get at least a full day of bed red, but none of them had even thought to listen to her. "Not sure how he teleported." She added, suppressing a tired sigh. "But he definitely used a dark magic spell to enhance his speed and strength."

"He's a vicious pain in the ass." Bumblebee stated with a shudder. "I'm half bee for crying out loud, and even I don't stoop so low as to use poison."

"Skilled with that bo staff." Speedy added. "At least I think he is. That's what he must've used to deliver the venom."

"He's short, and I'm going to stamp him flatter than a pancake the next time I see him." Cyborg growled savagely

"Fast." Starfire added. "The fight lasted but seconds, and he hit four of your twice." She turned to look at Raven. "He used magic, and you can use magic. Is it possible for you to teach me the spell he used?"

"No." The violet-eyed girl replied impassively. "If that was possible then I would be pounding different spells into all your skulls. But it takes a certain amount of psychic energy, and that's very rare. The thief used an enhancement spell to make himself stronger and faster, but I think that's the only sort he can use. Not sure why, just a feeling I get. You won't be seeing him tossing fireballs or anything."

"Then how did he teleport?" Robin asked.

"Not sure." Raven admitted. "I didn't sense anything when he did that."

"The next time we manage to track him I'm going to ..." Bumblebee clenched her fists.

"Unfortunately we're back to square one with that." Robin muttered. "He was tossing the marked bills, so I doubt that'll work again. Any idea how he knew they were coated with cobalt-60?" He sighed when no one answered. "I'm upgrading his status from minor villain, to deadly. Anyone sees him, they don't approach him alone. You call in the team." He ordered, giving everyone a stare.

"No worries there." Bumblebee grumbled. "I'm going to get a bazooka for the next time we meet. Let's see how he likes that."

"Have there been any other thefts or signs of criminal activity lately?" Raven asked.

"None." Cyborg informed her. "Why?"

"Starfire realized that since Slade has already tried making Robin and Terra his apprentice, then that might be the reason he kidnapped Beast Boy. If so then he will be training him, and we should be expecting some signs of it. Robberies and such."

"Could the bank thief be Beast Boy?" Cyborg wondered with a frown. "I know we considered it before and dismissed it, but he's the only one active."

"No." The half demon replied. "We know for certain the thief uses magic, so it's unlikely it could be Beast Boy. The ability to use any sort of mystical power is less than one in a million." She frowned slightly. "But now that I think of it, maybe I shoud've checked to see if he could."

"Any ideas on how we can catch him?" Boy Wonder asked. He didn't look surprised at the silence that greeted the question.

"Actually I have a question." Starfire spoke up.

"Yes." Robin asked, looking at her.

"If friend Beast Boy is Slade's new apprentice, and Slade wants to eliminate the Titans, then will he not attack here? How do we defend against friend Beast Boy?"

"We just capture him when he comes here." Cyborg spoke eagerly, with hope glowing in his one human eye.

"How will we know when he is here?"

"Well." The titanium-clad Titan frowned. "We won't." He admitted. "But still, it'll be Beast Boy. When he attacks, we overpower him and then fix whatever Slade did to him."

The orange-skinned alien frowned. "Somehow I doubt it will be that easy."

"It'll be nine of us to one of him." The cybernetic teen stated with confidence. "At practice he might've kicked my behind almost as much as I've kicked his, but we've still got numbers."

* * *

"Ghostling, I have a job for you." Slade spoke, looking up from the console where'd been working.

"Yes master." The shape shifter replied, eager to leave the lair for a while.

"Kill the Teen Titans."

"Which ones?" The changeling frowned, wondering if he also meant Raven.

"The ones you fought yesterday." The master criminal replied. "Eliminate those at Titans Tower, and then wait for any who're gone to return. This will be a major test for you. Pass and you'll be well rewarded. I will leave, and Jump City will be yours to destroy. You'll be free to go and do whatever you want."

"Yes master." The green-skinned shape shifter replied immediately, feeling great ecstasy at the news.

"However." The psychotic mastermind added. "For each one you fail to kill it will be two days training against the Sladebots while in pain. Make their deaths slow and painful as a warning to the honorary Titans not to challenge us."

"Yes Slade." The apprentice turned and left, eager to get out of the lair. _Mine to destroy. _Ghostling smiled. _Two million people to play with as I please. _His heart raced, and he started to breathe hard until he forced calm on himself. _This is too important to mess up. _The shape shifter silently told himself.

* * *

Half an hour later he rose high in the bright, early morning, sky, and became an eagle. Hours passed as he studied the massive tower. _She's there. _The would be mass murderer thought sadly. _Too bad she has to die._ He folded his wings and hurled towards his target. As he approached he became smaller and smaller, until he was in the form of a gnat again.

It was a huge building, with many places to enter, but he was in no rush. Silently the deadly killer circled around the dwelling, surveying it completely before he made his move. Then he became an amoeba, and let the wind blow him into the side of the tower close to a window.

Patience was a tool of an assassin, and he felt no desire to move from where he fell on the floor. Idly he wondered who would come by first; if it would be the one called Raven. He hope it would be, as he wanted to see her again. Yet he dreaded it, and hoped she'd left and would never return to this place. Hours passed as she remained in his thoughts.

His attention sharpened, and became focused as he heard vibrations through the floor. _Someone is approaching. _The shape shifter breathed in excitement. _Who will be my first kill? _He waited in anticipation, noting the sound of metal on metal. _The cybernetic one. _He realized. As the metal feet walked by, he became a dust mite, and hitched a ride. Once on the titanium-clad teen he reverted back to being an amoeba. _Patience. _He cautioned silently to himself, and waited some more.

The metal-clad Titan headed down to the basement and started rummaging through spare computer parts.

"Imagine Slade thinking Beast Boy could beat nine Titans." Cyborg mused aloud to himself.

_Who is Beast Boy? _Ghostling wondered. _Is it me? I was sent by Slade to kill nine Titans. It might be my name from before I was Ghostling. _Mentally he shrugged, and decided it wasn't important. Total focus on the current task was vital; there could be no mistakes. And this was the perfect place to make his first kill as it seemed like a room that was rarely visited.

_Slow and painful. _The shape shifter recalled the last order his master had given. He would've preferred killing swiftly. There was less chance of messing the mission up that way. But orders were orders, and so a sudden massive stroke was out. _Too bad. _Ghostling mused. _That would've guaranteed success._

Casting the spell that summoned the dark rage, he became human, standing just four feet behind his victim. Then, just as fast, he was the beast wearing the shimmering armor with a bo staff in his hands. The staff slashed down, and the bladed end ripped into the exposed flesh of his victim's neck, cutting less than an inch deep. The titanium armor prevent any massive cuts, but it was a serious wound.

"Beast Boy ..." Cyborg gasped, with his hand automatically going to the wound..

The staff rose and fell, vanishing from sight as it did so, slashing into the exposed parts of his foe's skin. Euphoria flooded Ghostling as he saw the streams of blood. The would be killer struck four lightning swift slashes before his opponent stumbled back in shock, and tried to raise the sonic cannon within his arm. With blinding speed the changeling wielded his weapon with two hands, and brought it down on the hard metal which crumpled, rending the cybernetic teen defenseless. _Slow and painful. _He once again recalled his master's orders, which caused him to step back; if he continued like he was, it would be swift though not entirely painless.

"Beast Boy." Cyborg gasped as blood coated his body. "Stop. You're making a mistake. The titanium-clad teen tried to reach his communicator, but the bo staff descend faster than the eye could see, and the device was smashed to the floor, broken beyond repair. "Don't you know who I am? We're friends."

Ghostling barely heard the words through the jubilation that filled him. _Friend? _He wondered. _What's that? _In the end he decided it didn't matter. The bo staff in his hands rose and fell dozens, and then hundreds of times, with each swiftly delivered slash making a tiny nick in his foe's flesh. Happily, he watched as the blood flowed from each tiny wound. _This is indeed fun. _The shape shifter decided with a joyful smile.

Cyborg tried to close with the boy who he'd once played video games with, but the changeling moved, twisting and turning in the room, with dazzling speed.

_Slow and painful. _With a sigh the shape shifter used the bo staff as a spear and brutally destroyed the mechanical eye of his foe. A few sparks erupted from it as he did so, and that too caused him pleasure. A swift stroke then rendered the human eye just as blind. Using a two-handed swing, he smashed at a metal leg, and the one he'd been sent to kill crumpled to the ground, screaming in pain and frustration. To the changeling it felt incredible, and pure rapture flooded him. His foe was blind and helpless, with his weapon destroyed. An arm and a leg had been damaged, leaving him barely able to move.

_How long before he bleeds to death? _Ghostling wondered, watching the figure on the floor moan. Awe filled him as he watched his foe still struggle to stand; to either fight, or flee and warn the others. _He's worthy of respect. _The changeling noted. _For a first kill that's good. _Raising his staff, he made a few more slashes. Then, turning, he left the defeated Titan.

_I must move more swiftly now. _The would be assassin mused. _One is defeated, and there's the risk others will find him._ He sniffed the air, and raced in a direction that smelled of seaweed, becoming a gnat as he did so. From somewhere in his mind the name Aqualad appeared. _An Atlantean who can control water. A deadly adversary, but he will never get a chance to use such magic in our battle._ Ghostling mused happily, anticipating another foe who would easily fall. _Caution. _The shape shifter warned himself. _Over-confidence kills._

The ventilation system blew through the tower, creating a small draft which the assassin used to his advantage. He glided the last twenty feet to his new opponent in the form of an amoeba, and landed on his enemy's skin. There he entered the blood stream, having decided he would kill from within this time. Patiently, he waited until his host entered what seemed to be his bedroom and closed the door.

_Time to strike. _Ghostling mused. The cybernetic teen he'd allowed to keep his vocal cords. There'd been no one close who would hear him, and he'd wanted to hear his first victim's screams. This time though they were in a more travelled part of the tower. _I must silence him first. _The shape shifter decided, taking a path that lead to his foe's throat.

The changeling felt his victim draw in a breath to scream as he changed into a twelve-inch piranha, and used his teeth to shear through flesh, along with his foe's vocal cords. _I imagine having something that size just appear in your throat, and then shred so much flesh, must be painful. _Ghostling mused, ecstatic at the thought. Whatever the reason, the Atlantean was on his knees, grasping at his throat, leaving his would be assassin time to move to another part of the body.

He used the form of the piranha again, and ripped through the tendons in the aquamancer's left leg. Silently he grinned in glee as he felt a shudder run though the Titan who drew in a breath as he futilely tried to scream.

Ghostling took his time. The arteries and veins were his highways as he joyfully traveled throughout his thrashing foe. After the throat and left leg there came the left arm, and then the right arm. That ensured the Atlantean couldn't use his communicator at all now. The right leg followed swiftly followed. It was unadulterated ecstasy to feel the shudders that ran through the immobilized Titan. Idly the shape shifter headed for the lungs and wrecked havoc on the right one, causing his desperate enemy to arch his back, and emit a low sound that spoke of unbearable agony despite the lack of vocal cords.

_Hmmm. _The changeling sighed in pleasure. _What now? It had to be slow as well as painful. _Continuing to travel the highways of blood, he slash and tore at his foe from the inside, enjoying the taste of blood each time he did so. Sadly the shudders of agony faded as the Atlantean became nearly comatose. Before leaving his host the would be assassin travelled to each of the eyes, and rendered the aquamancer blind.

Standing over his unconscious foe the shape shifter studied him. Tall and strong with dark hair. Soon the visage disappeared in a mass of blood as he took the form of the beast, and brutally slashed the unmoving Titan several dozen times.

Satisfied it would be a slow and painful death, Ghostling sniffed the air, and determined there were two more Titans in the tower. One was the boy called Robin, and the other was the girl who he'd wished had left the city. He chose to attack their leader first. In the form of a gnat he fled the room, leaving his latest victim in a bloody mess on the floor.

Ghostling found Boy Wonder in a room filled with cabinets and exhibits. The Evidence room, he mused, not knowing how he knew that. The target was studying a computer screen, muttering something about Slade. _This is good. _The changeling decided. _I can kill him here without waiting for him to move to a more private spot._ For a while he hovered in the air, and then slowly he took on the form of the beast, wearing his armor and wielding a bo staff. The spell of rage he'd used earlier still coursed through him, enhancing his speed and strength. This foe would be met face to face.

"Beast Boy." Robin said, turning around. Seeing the massive figure that shimmered in the light, he gulped.

"I don't know that name." Ghostling stated. "I only know that when the Titans are dead Slade will leave, and this city will be mine to do with as I please." He charged with blinding speed, and was surprised when his foe managed to block the attack with his own bo staff. Still, he was seven hundred pounds of werecreature, enhanced by a dark spell. His opponent's staff broke, and his own continued its deadly course to slice through his opponent's chest. Blood immediately coated Boy Wonder, and the shape shifter smiled as he felt the joy of having maimed another victim.

"You don't have to do this Beast Boy." Robin said, stumbling backwards, and then going down in a fighting crouch. The blood streaming from his chest he ignored.

Ghostling twisted the staff he wielded, and the sharp ends withdrew into it. This foe he would bludgeon to death. With a smile he charged again, only to stop and pivot on his right foot. Twisting around the master martial artist, he smashed the communicator he'd been fiddling with behind his back. The look of anger that appeared on the Titan's face made him want to laugh in glee. He controlled the impulse; he was fighting a skilled warrior, and knew better than to let himself be distracted by such desires.

"Whatever Slade did to you we can fix. Please Beast Boy." Boy Wonder held the hand that'd been holding the communicator. Every finger was broken, along with a number of bones in the hand itself.

"There's nothing to fix." Ghostling replied, having decided how he would kill the one who stood defiantly before him. He used his enormous strength and speed to whip his bo staff at his foe's head. Yet he telegraphed the move, hoping to force his opponent to block with his bare hands. Five times he made the same move, and was astounded when Boy Wonder dodged it four times. The fifth time smash the overpowering attack through his foe's right hand, shattering every bone in it.

"Stop." The leader commanded, grasping in agony. "You don't need to do this."

"If I want the city, which I do, then I must. Slade won't give it to me if I don't kill all of you." The shape shifter repeated the brutal force attack several more times, and managed to land two more blows. Both of his opponents shattered arms were now hanging limply by his side.

Something struck a chord in the Titan despite his pain. "Kill us all? Have you killed anyone yet?" His face was already white from pain and blood loss, yet now it went even paler.

"You're the third one I've encountered so far. The other two are defeated."

"Beast Boy." Robin nearly sobbed. "What did Slade do to you to make you a killer?"

"I don't know what you mean. I've always been this way." He struck at his opponent who could no longer defend himself, and was surprised again, as he swiftly rolled out of the way. _He's fast and skilled. _Ghostling noted. _But my strength is inconceivably greater, and I'm just a bit faster. Victory is mine. _With a smile he noted the blood and the smashed limbs. _Killing is fun. _The changeling decided happily, grinning.

With brutally swift and savage moves he crushed his foe's ribs; the kneecaps and ankles were then callously bludgeoned with merciless blows as well. The shape shifter grinned demonically as he continued to work on his enemies' immobilized leader, slowly crushing bone after bone. Before his remorseless onslaught the body was flung around the room, leaving a trail of blood.

_Three down. _Ghostling mused happily. _When the city is mine I'll make sure to have them offer me a dozen or more sacrifices a day. It'll be fun to slaughter them._ With a satisfied sigh he turned away from the bloody scene and assume the form of a gnat. There was one Titan left in the building, and her death would be brutal he silently promised himself.

The shape shifter froze, sinking to the ground. _Wrong is to disobey Slade. _He thought, but also recalled there was another definition for the word. W_rong would be to hurt the woman called Raven. _With a frown he tried to decide which wrong was greater. Rising from the ground, he tracked the girl he'd come to kill, all the way thinking about the riddle that'd been present to him.

He found her sitting on her bed, flipping through the pages of a book. The heat his eyes could see radiating from her cloak indicated she'd only recently returned to the tower. _I wish she'd left and stayed away. _Ghostling moaned in frustration._ I could be free, and kill as I please, but to do so she must die._ He pushed the thought to one side, and decided if he must kill her then it would be as swift as he could make it, and as painless. Slade was no mind-reader, and wouldn't know. He would offer this woman that final gift. One moment she would be reading, and the next she would know nothing.

Ghostling circled her room as a gnat, keeping several feet from her. Then he became an amoeba, and drifted down to just four feet from her back. In one tiny fraction of a second he would shift into the beast and strike. She would die before she could react. He would strike so swiftly that the woman called Raven would feel no pain. He reached inside, and called on the form of the beast; then he was striking the savage deathblow.

* * *

Raven stifled a yawn as she struggled to keep her eyes open. She'd spent hours flying over the city, trying to detect either Beast Boy or the bank thief. She'd seen neither. The book in her hands was for tracking spells. It wasn't the sort of magic she was skilled at, but she thought she might be able to pull it off. There would be a number of failures before it worked, with there being a price each time she messed up, but to find the shape shifter she knew it would be worth it.

There was a draft of wind behind her, causing her to turn. There stood the beast, clothed in shimmering armor. In its hands there was a staff that was held motionless less than inch from her surprised eyes. "Beast Boy." She said, breathing a sigh of relief; he was okay. Reaching out, she touched his mind only to feel the touch of cold darkness. Around her hands black energy flickered as she prepared to fight. She would contain him somehow, and then they could work to heal him.

He had transformed into the beast, and had swung the staff with every fiber of his being. It would've shattered her skull, and ended her once and for all. _Right would be to make the woman called Raven smile. _His mind had told him, and the staff, of its own accord, had froze. _Right and wrong are meaningless when it comes to her. _The changeling decided. _I could never harm her._ He saw the stunned look in her eyes, and the dark magic that flickered around her hands. _She's preparing to fight, and I do not wish to fight her. _With a savage roar, he turned and flung himself through her window.

Raven held her hands up, ready for battle, only to have the one she'd search so long and hard to find flee. Rising she prepared to give chase. _He came to kill me. _She suddenly realized, recalling the way the staff had been merely an inch from her head. _But in the end he didn't. I need to call the others as well and coordinate a search. _With her mind she reached out, and her face went pale.

"All Titans. Emergency. Return to tower immediately." She spoke into her communicator as she summoned the power to teleport. Letting go of the device she vanished to reappeared down in the Evidence room where Robin was. Touching him, she used her powers once again to shift them to the clinic.

_He's not breathing, and there's no pulse. _She calmly noted, and sent her soul into the shattered body to scan the damage. She gasped as she saw the countless shattered bones, along with the brutal slash to his chest. The chest wound she healed, and then she started cpr to restart his heart and lungs. Slowly, with tiny desperate gasps that spoke of endless pain, Boy Wonder started to breathe.

Mas y Menos appeared in the room

"Get Cyborg from the basement." She ordered, and they vanished. _How long wasn't he breathing? _The half demon wondered, turning her attention back to Robin. _There might be brain damage I'm not detecting. _The overwhelmed girl shuddered. _Oh Beast Boy. What have you done?_

Mas y Menos appeared dragging Cyborg.

Raven glanced at him. "Get Aqualad from his room." She commanded, and reached out to scan the damage done to her cybernetic friend. It was less severe than what'd been done to Robin. He had massive blood loss, but it would be a while before he bled dry. She sealed the larger cuts, and then sent a message ordering his body to produce more blood.

She looked up gratefully as Bumblebee and Speedy raced frantically into the room. Get him hooked up on fluids and pump some blood into him." The violet-eyed girl commanded, pointing at Cyborg. He would be okay. She didn't know much about his cybernetic systems, but his body seemed fine other than the cuts and the blood loss, so the ones that he needed to live were obviously functioning. When he woke up he would be able to handle those repairs himself.

Mas y Menos appeared carrying Aqualad.

When the half demon scanned his body for damage her eyes went wide once again, and she cursed, wondering just how Beast Boy had wrecked havoc inside of the Atlantean boy like that. His flesh was badly slashed and he was blind, but his insides had been ... She had no words to describe it. Guts, arteries, tendons and flesh had been shredded, though in many places there were no outward signs of how it'd been done.

Focusing, she wondered what to do. She didn't have the energy to fully heal all three, so she was back to healing critical damage, and then waiting. _He doesn't need to move, but the internal cuts need to be sealed. _The half demon did that, along with repairing his vocal cords. She also worked to get the damaged lung back in operation. Not fully, but enough to make sure he wasn't low on oxygen.

"An IV with blood and fluid for him too." She commanded, glancing over to where Speedy and Bumblebee were skillfully working on Cyborg. "And for Robin." She added. _This is going to be another long night. Raven_ gulped. _But they won't die. Though if Robin had been left there for five more minutes he might've had serious brain damage, and would've been dead soon after that. Aquadlad would've lasted another ten minutes._ _Cyborg has cybernetic systems that would've injected chemicals into his body to slow his metabolism. He would've lasted for hours._

"Oxygen for all three." The half demon added, watching as an IV needle was pushed into Aqualad's wrist."

Starfire flew into the room. "What is wrong ..." She paused as she saw Robin's pale form covered in blood.

"He's going to be okay." Raven stated. "They all are."

"Beast Boy?" The orange-skinned alien asked, looking around with her feet solidly on the ground.

"Yeah. But he stopped. Somehow I don't think we need to worry about more attacks from him."

"You sure."

"No." The half demon let some frustration show in her voice. "But he didn't attack me. He was going to, but he left instead."

"Oh." Starfire looked around. "What do I do?"

"Keep an eye on them and report any signs of trouble to me." The violet-eyed girl replied without hesitation. "And clean the blood off the floor so no one slips on it. There's enough injured people for me to treat as it is."

Draining what reserves she had, Raven went around to all three and healed as much as she could. They would live, but for a while they were all going to be in some pain. Especially Robin. Healing shattered bones took a lot of effort.

* * *

Ghostling sat on the rooftop, looking out over the vast city. With one exception he would've slaughtered every soul within it with gleeful abandon. Unfortunately, that one soul was one of the ones he'd been ordered to kill. _Slade won't like that. _The silent figure mused. _He'll kill me for sure. And worse, he will have someone else kill the woman._ With a sigh the changeling stood. Right and wrong didn't matter; only the woman who was called Raven. Launching himself from the ledge he was on, he became a hawk and raced home towards the lair.

"Did you kill the Titans." Slade asked, looking up at him.

"No. I've decided not to." The shimmering figure was in his beast form, wearing the synthetic-diamond armor, and wielding a bo staff.

"Are you challenging me?" The master criminal stood, amused.

"I'm not sure where to find you." The changeling replied, but I have an idea how to start.

"Where to find me?" Slade asked, sounding confused.

"You're a robot." Of this he was certain.

"How do you know?"

"You haven't slept since I awoke here. Nor have you washed or changed clothes in over two weeks. For that matter, you haven't even eaten anything in that time." The shape shifter's nose twitched. "You have a scent much like a human, but the amount of hormones rarely change. You're elsewhere, and was hoping to fool me into thinking you were real."

"I see. You're right of course. A few vials of hormones to make you believe I was human. It seems that was a waste of time. As was trying to train you as an apprentice."

"Why try to fool me?" Ghostling asked, curious.

"If things went wrong this place has a self-destruct. I was hoping the Titans would believe me dead, thus allowing me to plan my next attack without having to look over my shoulder."

"Oh." He knew it was time to fight, but he feared the figure before him.

"In any case, I still have to eliminate you." The robot changed, growing claws on its fingers, with spikes extending from its arms. "I admit you're formidable. Much more powerful that I'd originally hoped, but you're still flesh. I'm made of metal, and unlike the Sladebots you're used to I personally crafted this machine to fight."

"That's what I'm counting on. And metal or flesh, it's all the same. Everything has a weakness." The assassin raised his bo staff and charged.

The enhanced Sladebot sidestepped the attack, and raked its spike arm across the changeling's armor. It struck sparks, but did no damage.

Ghostling pivoted, using his left foot, and swiftly slashed again. An arm blocked the staff, sending vibrations through his arms that ran down into his entire body. "Ouch." He quickly muttered. He backstepped from the thrust the robot send his way, feeling it graze his shoulder. It spun him around, but once again his armor protected him.

"Metal armor against diamond armor. We seem to be at a stalemate." The cybernetic minion mused calmly. "Of course I need to merely activate the self-destruct, and both you and this robot are history. Are you sure you don't wish to surrender? I will make adjustments to your brain, but at least you will be alive."

"I have no choice but to kill you." Ghostling replied, knowing if he didn't find and kill Slade then eventually the master criminal would kill Raven.

"Why?"

"My reasons are my own." He couldn't answer the question. If he did then his master could use the woman as a way to control him. However, he knew it wouldn't save her in the end.

"I see."

Ghostling let the dark rage of the spell he'd been taught flood his system as he charged. This time he didn't stop. It was metal against diamond, but diamond was harder than metal. If he used enough force... With savage abandon he ignored defense, and went totally on the offense. His staff whirled around and brutally smashed into his foe several times a second. It did no damage other than cause the occasional spark, but the robotic creation was knocked around the room, giving it no chance to retaliate.

Minutes passed, and eventually they stood facing each other again. The beast was slightly out of breath.

"Maybe I can win." Slade's voice thoughtfully mused. "I merely need to wear you down. Yield now and you might survive your punishment."

"No." He studied his foe. Diamond might be stronger than most metals, but the robot's armor was incredibly thick, and his strength wasn't up to the task of breaking it. _If not brute force then what? _Ghostling wondered. He looked around the room, and saw little of use. It was brute force or nothing. He charged again.

The changeling whirled the staff around, letting its diamond-tipped edge slash at his foe. There were scratches, but nothing of significance. He repeated the process, using all the strength and speed he could summon. He began to sweat, and even the muscles of the great beast groaned in agony. He was bordering on collapse when one of the slashes sliced through the robot's armor. It was a small pinprick, but it was all he could manage. The shape shifter slumped down, exhausted.

"Yield. You can't win, and I would hate to lose all the effort I put into training you." Slade's voice demanded obedience. The robot attacked.

Unable to fight any longer, Ghostling vanished into the form of an amoeba.

"That won't work." Slade spoke, as if amused. "The sprinkler system contains a mildly corrosive acid. It'll force you to revert back to a larger form or die. A mist began to fall from the ceiling.

Desperately the shape shifter wondered what to do. It might be possible to flee the building. Then his eyes came to rest on the insignificant pinprick he'd managed to make in the robot's armor. He raced towards it as a flea, and entered as an amoeba.

As an amoeba he couldn't do much harm, and the machine was powered by electricity; lots of it. If he tried anything he would get fried. _Unless. _Ghostling mused, trying to control his panic. He became a snail, which abandoned a shell that was allowed to drop down along the delicate machinery and circuits. There were sparks, but not much else. Finding a rather empty spot amidst all the clutter, the shape shifter became a mouse and bit his paw. He let the blood flow down on the circuits he could see below. More sparks, and then smoke, rose from them. Weak from blood loss, he felt the robot jerk a few times and shudder.

The changeling raced for the exit, being nearly overwhelmed by the smoke. Outside, he became human, and then shifted into the beast, complete with armor.

"If you can't destroy something from the outside, attack the inside. It seems I may have trained you tell well." The voice from the machine no longer sounded entirely human. "You may have had more potential than any apprentice I've ever trained. Alas, it's all lost now."

_Self-destruct. _Ghostly realized, and immediately took on the ultimate defensive form. He became an oyster with a massively thick and strong shell. Around it was wrapped the diamond armor Slade had given him. This was a form the master criminal didn't know about as he'd thought of it on his own while practicing. That he might one day need a defense greater than anything he'd currently had had been obvious.

An explosion shattered the world around him, and the fire that came with it burned hotter than anything should've. Even the diamond armor wouldn't protect him from this. He shifted again, becoming the beast, and picking up the melting remains of the robot he raced frantically away.

A mile from the fire that lit up the night even at this distance, he sat down to rest. Burned and exhausted, he was close to collapse. Still, he went to work on the robot, tearing it apart. Slade had claimed he'd crafted it especially for combat himself. Depending on how long ago it was ... Ghostling became a bear, and used its ultra-sensitive nose to examine the wrecked remains. As he'd expected. The scent of its maker was on it.

Lying back to rest, the shape changer smiled. He now had a clue to go by; a method by which he could track the one who would kill the woman called Raven.

Desperately needing rest first or risk collapse, he became the beast and found an abandoned warehouse to sleep in. Its high rate of regeneration would quick restore his strength and heal some of the burns.

* * *

Later that night Ghostling awoke, still in the form of the massive beast. He was refreshed with many of his burns healed, but it came at the price of incredible hunger. Standing, he raced through the night seeking prey. Jump City, like many places, was filled with pigeons. The shape shifter consumed them by the dozens. Then, sated, he sat down to consider the clue he had. He knew what Slade smelled like. But the city was huge. To search it would take forever, and that was assuming his former master was actually in it.

_But his toys are always high-tech, and there's only one place with that sort of technology in Jump City._ The shape shifter mused._ At least only one of any size. _Rising, the beast raced from rooftop to rooftop, heading toward the district he was thinking of. Along the way he kept sniffing the air. Reaching the massive research and manufacturing center he slowed down.

_Now. _Ghostling thought, as he paused to consider the situation. _It's still around five square miles, but most of the researchers here live in the same area._ He found the small residential section, and raced through its streets, hoping his speed would prevent trouble. He already knew it would be fun to kill anyone who tried to stop him, but he also knew he couldn't afford the delay; Slade would be planning.

The trail appeared suddenly outside the area's sole grocery store. He followed it, noting the man called Slade must visit the place often. It was merely a few hundred feet before he came to rather large two-story house. The changeling sniffed the air, and concluded only one person lived within. Slade.

With a savage grin, Ghostling took a brief instant to considered what to do. He could try to infiltrate as a small form, but his master would be expecting him. If there were traps a larger creature like the beast with its armor would stand a better chance of surviving. The decision made, he ran at the house and was soon inside, having torn the door off its hinges.

"I see you found me." A voice rang out from a speaker system. "Definitely the most capable apprentice I've ever trained. In the past I've overlooked much of the natural world in my wonder at the technological, but you've cured me of that. Alas, there is one way of killing a mortal creature that can't be evaded, though the price is great; a full year of one's life. But in this case you've given me no choice. I congratulate on that, Ghostling. Or should I say Beast Boy."

The changeling paused as his former master confirmed the fact he was indeed the one the Titans called Beast Boy. Then his mind shifted to more important matters. Slade had claimed a way to kill at will, but with the price of a year of one's life. That could only mean magic, and against that he might have no defense. _I have to find him and kill him before he can use the spell. _Ghostling realized, as he raced towards the scent that'd drawn him here.

The sturdy wooden door was ripped from its hinges and the giant beast rushed through, racing down the stairs. He burst into a plain, dark, room where a solitary man sat in the center of a glowing circle inscribed with a dark pentagram.

"Mortem deos, accipiatis collectam Meam, et percuterent mortale hoc. Donum animam meam ad vitam." Slade finished chanting, looking relieved despite the horrible price it would cost him.

The fearful beast went to leap at his foe, only to stop and return to his human form. Before him stood a twelve-foot shape that was forged of the darkest of night, with eyes that were darker still. The changeling stared into them, seeing only the eternal darkness of oblivion. The vaguely humanoid creature raised a massive scythe that was as long as it was high. In contrast to the utter and absolute darkness of the creature, the scythe glowed a pure bright-white light that seemed to burn into ones very soul.

Ghostling felt his heart become still, and believed he was dying. As his eyes gazed into those of the unspeakable creature, he knew death was not just close, but actually upon him. _I've seen this darkness before. _The changeling thought, as he stood utterly still, unable to move. _And I've seen the light of such a scythe. _Still, he couldn't recall where or when.

For ages the two stood staring at each other. The changeling's eyes met those of the death god and didn't flinch. Then something within him stirred and rose, and the reaper of souls gave a slight bow. It turned away, not having found the prey it sought. Yet it'd been summon to do its duty, and that it could not forsake.

"What?" Came a gasp of disbelieve. "No. He's the one whose soul I called you to take." Slade's voice was hoarse with fear, and his eyes stared into those of the grim reaper with perfect terror.

The scythe rose and fell, and Slade's corpse slowly crumbled to the ground. The task it'd been summoned for done, the grim reaper of souls took a step forward, and vanished.

Slowly, after an eternity passed, the one called Ghostling felt his heart start to beat once again.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	7. Chapter 7

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_The reaper of souls Ghostling saw has nothing to do with Raven. He'll be talked about more._

_There's plenty of places for the story to go yet. Slade trained Beast Boy to be Ghostling, but he's not the only bad guy out there. Think of this as the first arc of the story as a whole. And who knows, maybe he will make another appearance. He already died once in the series, and was revived. Besides, Beast Boy still hasn't got that peck on the cheek from Raven yet. There's no way this story will end until, at the very least, that happens._

_Time: Three days later._

* * *

_**Ghostling goes Hunting,... Madame Rouge Makes an Appearance,... Finding Ghostling,... The Brain of a Killer,...**_

Ghostling sat on the edge of the roof, observing the city that was his for the taking. On a whim he could descend, and end the life of anyone of the many people who walked below. He could be mercifully swift, or remorselessly slow and painful. It would be fun. But since the death of his master he had done little other than watch, and sometime hunt for food.

With a sigh, he rose and became a bird of prey. Falling with his wings folded close to his body, he hurtled downward at a pretty young woman of no more than twenty. In his mind he saw the blood, and heard the screams, as he hit just right and snapped her neck. It was exhilarating to think about, and the chaos would be fun to watch as those around her either fled in terror, or maybe futilely rushed to help her. The blood lust drove him, yet at the last second he unfurled his wings, and grabbed at the air as he swooped within an inch of her startled face, streaking past at more than two hundred miles per hour. He had the satisfaction of hearing her emit a panicked scream, and watched as she crouched low to the ground, and raced for the imagined safety of a nearby shop. Around her others were scanning the sky, not realizing their danger.

Tilting his wings, the shape shifter slowly coasted towards the shoreline where he rose to an altitude of a mile and prepared to hunt for real. Thought the prey would be much less satisfying than the woman would've been, it was something he'd done dozens of times over the last three days. Gliding above the water it took less than a minute for the changeling to spot his next target. As a bird of prey he dove; thirty seconds later he ruthlessly smashed in a lonely seagull, brutally snapping its neck.

In a patch of tall grass, scattered with some small bushes, the shape shifter became a fox and settle down to eat the still warm corpse. The smell of blood caused him to drool as his teeth ripped into the delicious flesh. The single dead bird was enough to fill him, but he still rose to hunt again.

_Why didn't I kill the woman? _Ghostling wondered as he circled in a thermal, effortlessly rising higher. He was puzzled, and a bit scared that there might be something wrong with him. Killing was what he'd been taught. _But not randomly like a butcher. _He reminded himself. _Those die early, and I would prefer to live a long time. To kill more than just a few people. _Frowning, he slashed down through the air, and ended the life of another seagull. This time he didn't bother to eat. He was already full and this was for fun.

His thoughts turned, as they often did, to the woman called Raven. _The ones I poisoned should've died, but Slade said she was a healer. She must've saved them. But why? _That was a question the changeling had pondered a lot these last few days. Someone with her power should've just stood and watched with that delicious sense of exhilaration as the snake toxin painfully brought an end to those bitten. _Perhaps they're her apprentices as I was Slade's. But why would she spend so much effort on mere students? It makes no sense._ With a tilt of his wings he changed course to circle in another thermal. _The ones I wounded so their injuries would slowly killed them, I wonder if she saved those as well._ The bird of prey shook its head as it tried to figure out the many mysteries that surrounded the violet-eyed girl. _Why does my heart race when I see her, or even when I just think of her? _He wondered.

Puzzled and confused, Ghostling left the shoreline and raced for the heart of the city that he thought of as his. Flapping his powerful wings as he did so, he rose until he could stare down at nearly half of it with eyes that even a god might envy. For miles around the buildings, along with the people, were crystal clear to him. _My city!_ The changeling silently stated. _But if I'm not going to kill the people, then what am I going to do with it? _Puzzled and confused, the green falcon soared and pondered.

Silently circling, the green-skinned shape shifter had a sudden insight. _Did she save them for the same reason I saved her? And just why did I save her? I know it would be wrong to hurt the woman called Raven, but why is it wrong? And why do I want to make her smile?_

Suddenly his attention focused on the ground. Returning to his human form Ghosting felt gravity take hold in the brief second before he became a bird of prey again. This time however, he was encased in his diamond armor. Too heavy to fly, he hurled towards the ground in a steep dive. With the razor-sharp edges of his armor slicing through the air the would be assassin soon hit three hundred miles per hour.

* * *

Raven held her cloak tightly around herself, blocking the wind. For the last three days she'd drained herself time and time again to heal the three Titan's Beast Boy had ruthlessly battered within an inch of their lives. Though technically they were now healthy and sound, she'd ordered a full day of bed rest. Knowing they would just ignore her, she'd instructed Starfire to keep guard over the clinic. Whine as they might, they wouldn't be going anywhere. Having sat worrying over Boy Wonder as his hundred and forty-seven crushed bones had been slowly fixed, the orange-skinned girl wasn't going to allow him to risk further injury. Bumblebee was also there, standing watch over Cyborg. When he needed something, such as tools to fix his damaged systems, she was the one who went and got it for him. In the meantime, she also made sure he didn't leave the clinic cot he was restricted too. Her no-nonsense attitude easily handled the cybernetic teen's hardheadness.

Shivering, the violet-eyed girl pulled her cloak even tighter. The weather was chilly, and her body was just too exhausted to keep itself warm. However, tired as she was, she was sick of being in the tower and needed something to relax her. Rather than meditate, she'd opted for a short walk. Her herbal tea had ran out, and it was a good excuse to leave for a while. Within a half hour she would be back, and would drink a nice hot cup of cinnamon tea along with a muffin. What sort of muffin she had yet to decide, but the bakery was next to the tea shop, so she would drop in and see what they had. She was thinking maybe chocolate chip or something else that was wickedly delicious.

_I should've sent Bumblebee to get the stuff. _The girl admitted, stumbling. _I should be back in bed resting._

Her pace slowed. _I wonder where Beast Boy is? _She wondered tiredly, though with a sense of hope. _I can't believe he nearly killed some of us twice. But this time he stopped, though I'm not exactly sure why. He won't try it again._ She looked up. _Just another minute or two to the tea shop. Being in there will refresh me a little. The smell of the place always does, though it's a bit too bright and cheerful for my taste._ She stumbled along, wondering if Mas y Menos had found any signs of her lost friend on their latest search of the city. _Of course they haven't, you idiot. _The violent-eye girl silently muttered angrily. _They would've contacted you if they had._ The half demon wished she could search as well, but as it stood she was considering taking a taxi back to the tower.

My my, how lowly and shabby the great and powerful Raven looks today."

The voice caused the violet-eyed Titan to freeze. _This isn't good. _She told herself, gulping in sudden fear as she tried to activate her communicator. A hand stretched out from the attractive, black-haired woman who stood twenty feet from her to grab the device. In the process, the front of her robe was torn, forcing her to hold it close. _I need my hands free. _She told herself, and let the cloak fall. She entered a fighting crouch as the icy wind tore at her freezing skin.

"It seems the rumors are true." Madame Rouge spoke haughtily, as if laughing at the freezing figure. "Titans West are under attack, and called in all the members of Titans East. When I report this to the Brain he will immediately make plans to attack Steel City."

"You've tried such attacks on the Titans before." Raven intoned impassively. "In the end your plans always fail."

The beautiful blue-eyed woman, who was the head operative for the Brotherhood of Evil, walked towards her prey in a self-assured manner that spoke of arrogance. "In the end evil always wins. We're all unfrozen, and back in operation. We only need to get lucky once." She smiled confidently at the girl who could barely walk, let alone do battle with a powerful and deadly villainess.

_I'm in no shape to fight. _The shivering Titan admitted to herself, and levitated into the air to flee. Teleporting in her condition was certainly beyond her.

"Now now, we can't allow that." The villainous woman smiled as her arms lashed out to grab two frigid legs by the ankles.

Raven, feeling herself being pulled down, aimed blasts of dark magic at her foe's arms. The pain made them withdraw for an instant, and she desperately tried to race into the sky once again, knowing it was her only chance. Weariness betrayed her, and she was too slow. The hands were around her ankles again, drawing her closer to the grinning woman who had nothing but sheer malice in her eyes.

"Don't worry. I won't hurt you too much." Madame Rogue confidently spoke. "But you will tell me what's happening with the Titans."

Raven threw bolts of dark energy at the woman who dodged with a flexibility that wasn't entirely human.

The smirking villainess laughed. "Things must be bad if that's the best the mighty Raven can do.

Summoning more power, the half demon tried to use her dark magic to slice off the arms of her gloating opponent. She was partly successful with one, but the two pieces immediately reattached themselves, and became whole once again.

"That's annoying." Madame rogue spoke angrily. "Forget about my not hurting you too much. That was a lie; I'm going to rip you into tiny pieces."

_Damn! _Raven silently intoned, trying to figure a way out. _I really should've just meditated and taken a nice long nap._

With her helpless foe on the ground, the devastatingly attractive villainess held her down with one hand. The other she used to savagely pound the struggling girl.

The flesh of the violet-eyed girl's cheek split, and blood flowed down her face. Her whole body lashed backwards beneath the force of a blow that sent several teeth flying.

"Who's attacking the Titans?" Madame Rouge demanded. When she received no answer she resumed the beating.

The brutal interrogation lasted for several minutes. A quick and savage assault, followed by questions that the cruel villainess obviously didn't want answers to. To the blood-coated girl it was clear her that her tormentor only wanted a reason to hurt her.

"Okay, lets up things a bit." Madame Rogue smiled coldly. "Tell me what's happening to the Titans or I will start to get serious." Her smile vanished into an expression of shock.

Raven blinked, as something that shimmered in the early morning light flashed down too fast for the eye to follow. Before her, her tormentor had a dazed expression of incredulity on her face. The violet-eyed girl could easily understand why. The villainess had been sliced clean in two just below the ribs. Whatever had slashed so effortlessly through her had also severed her arms which dropped with a small thud to the ground.

_This is my chance. _Raven silently muttered, suppressing her own surprise as she shook loose the hand that held her by the throat. Summong the last remnants of her strength she levitated and raced away. She got maybe ten feet before her ankle was snagged again in a bone-crushing grip.

"What was that?" The enraged woman demanded, as her body slowly melted together to become whole once again.

"I don't know." She admitted, finally giving the woman one honest answer.

Something seemed to flicker in front of her eyes, and the arm holding her was slashed in two. Both the freezing Titan and the blue-eyed villainess turned to look.

"Beast Boy." Raven exclaimed.

Ghostling almost smiled as he heard that name and the excitement in the woman's voice. She was glad to see him. That made him feel good; as though nothing in the world mattered so long as she was happy. He'd seen the brutal assault from above, and had retrieved his armor from his human form. In the form of a raptor, sheathed in a diamond coating that made his wings sharper than any knife, he'd hurled down to slash into pieces the woman who would hurt the one called Raven.

Even as he'd committed the brutal act he'd known the black-haired woman wouldn't die. _Madame Rouge. _A name rose from the back of his memory, though he would've sworn he'd never heard it before. With it came knowledge of his foe's strengths and weaknesses. _She can regenerate any wound. _Some voice had whispered him, and it seemed it was true. Where once she'd been in four pieces she now whole and sound again. _Not for long. _The shape shifter promised himself with a smile.

"You're the shape shifter?" The superpowered villainess asked, as her eyes turned towards the towering figure standing ten feet away.

As his purpose was to pass among mortals as if a ghost, Ghostling remained silent, and merely flexed his arms as he prepared to fight. Within him the spell of rage burned.

"Whatever." The blue-eyed woman spoke callously. "I'll just beat the answer out of you." She dropped her original foe, and turned toward the nine-foot figure of the beast.

Raven cringed, and watched as the hands of Madame Rouge flashed forth time and time again, only to always miss the shape shifter. _He's really fast. _She gulped, and despite the freezing cold and the pain of her wounds, stared in amazement.

_A ghost cannot be touched. _The shape shifter recalled his master instructing him. The lesson had been painful, but he'd learned it. Knives had been used to slash his flesh until he could sense their approach by the movement of the air around them. He'd learned how to immediately shift form not by conscious thought, but by reflex when he felt such danger. Each time one of his foe's hands reached for him he became an amoeba that was knocked unharmed to one side, where he automatically reformed as the beast. It made him appear to move as fast as thought itself. In reality, that was precisely what he was doing. He didn't move or think, he merely let reflexes wired into him take their course.

The hands of the enraged villainess lashed out dozens, and then hundreds, of times at her foe who seemed to be doing nothing more than calmly stand stilling, yet effortlessly avoided every attack. "What are you?" The black-haired woman demanded. "The shape shifter is the laughing-stock of the villain world. You're not him."

"Hey." Raven staggered to her feet, looking furious. "He's the best of us." Dark energy leapt from her hands to hit the villainess who'd believed her first victim too weak to offer any more resistance.

"Bitch." Madame Rouge growled as the pain of the attack tore into her flesh. Her arms lashed out... She stared in shock as they were sliced off again.

The changeling, heart rejoicing as the woman called Raven had tried to defend him, read the villainess' movements, and prepared his own response in his mind. When the woman was committed he'd struck. A simple swing of the bladed edge of his bo staff and her arms were severed. The shape shifter watched as the writhing limbs reached up and reattached themselves to his prey._ How to kill something that can regenerate like that?_ Ghostly pondered. _Lets see just how much damage she can take._

Raven gasped as the beast moved on the offensive. His bo staff whirled until the air was filled with a humming sound, and its sharp edges tore into the dark-haired villainess. Her eyes were slashed, and then as one, the woman's arms and legs slid from her body, followed by her head.

"Impressive." The awed woman said, as her body reformed. "I would be rewarded if I managed to recruit you for the Brotherhood of Evil. Do you want to join?"

He gave no response. _What is impressive is her ability to heal._ The shape shifter thought, hiding the awe he felt. His eyes met the woman, and they moved as one to clash in battle.

Several of her attacks landed. He, like most warriors, only had so much focus, and if he was attacking then he wasn't defending as well as he might have. If he was defending, then his attacks were less precise and less powerful than they might've been. But that was what the armor was for. Despite the woman's strength, he was the beast which was immeasurable larger and stronger than she was. The one-sided battle went his way. The woman was slashed into pieces once again beneath his fury, and this time he didn't stop. The hands were severed from the arms, and the fingers from the hands; the feet from the legs, and the toes from the foot. His staff whirled and his foe's head was sliced apart. The woman was shredded not into dozen of pieces, but hundreds.

Finally Ghostling stepped back to watch with an impassive expression, thought inside he wanted to howl in fury. The remains didn't bleed, and he knew she wasn't dead. She'd been merely sliced apart. He was proven right as the pile of flesh shuddered and writhed. The woman reformed. "Don't think I'm so easily destroyed." She growled.

_I know that. _The shape shifter silently raged, desiring nothing more than to hurt the nearly indestructible woman before him; the one who'd hurt Raven. _Cold and fire. _He recalled from a past life. _Are the only ways to harm her, and I have neither. _He considered that, wondering if she was really human. Something told him she was, but her powers of regeneration made her almost immortal. Passively standing as if he hadn't a care in the world, he recalled the ways Slade had taught him to kill. _I wonder. _Ghostling smiled viciously. Watching the woman, he read her next attack, and did nothing to evade it.

Raven watched in horror as the diabolical member of the Brotherhood of Evil suddenly stretched, and enveloped Beast Boy. Having wearily sank back on the icy ground, she threw more energy at her cold-hearted foe from her frigid sitting place. When the massive form of the woman encompassing the shape shifter shrank, she cringed, believing he'd been destroyed. Struggling she regained her feet, and prepared to do battle once again.

_If you can't destroy and enemy from the outside, attack the inside. _It was a valuable lesson. Ghostling let her imprison him within her own flesh, and then shrank down to the size of the Inland Taipan snake. His fangs ripped into the definitely not human tasting fleshing, injecting venom. _No circulator system. _The would be assassin frowned, as he bit again. _The poison won't spread through her body, and won't have any affect. _He was wrong. It took several seconds, but it seemed as if any cells touched by the venom instantly darkened and turned black; obviously dead.

_Minor wounds only. _The shape shifter growled in frustration to himself. _Only a small area with each bite, and I don't have enough venom to do this a thousand times. _Savagely he thrashed around and sank his fangs into the woman time and time again. Small parts blacken and didn't heal, but they were insignificant. Feeling her try to absorb him, to end his life, he shifted into the beast again. With his diamond-tipped claws he tore his way free.

Raven sighed in relief as the beast suddenly reappeared, and violently ripped its way free of the villainess' flesh. She frowned in concentration slightly, and focused her attention on the seemingly unstoppable foe. When the shape shifter had slashed free there were splotches of black on the woman's flesh.

_No circulatory system to spread the poison. _Ghostling noted again, almost gloating, but I don't need one. With savage fury he launched himself at the woman. His bo staff once again hummed and seemed to disappear as he whirled it. The woman was slashed into pieces before his glee-filled eyes. When she reformed he saw the splotches of darkness had spread. _The dead cells. _The would be killer growled happily. _They contain the venom, and when she reforms after being cut, the process distributes the toxin. New cells touching it dies._

He sliced the woman to pieces again. This time was slow to reform, and looked ill. Her appearance was now dark in complexion.

"What? How?" The no longer so arrogant villainess asked.

Ghostling remained quiet, and merely raised his bo staff to repeat the process. _Spread it enough, and she will die. She is indeed human, and I used enough venom to kill a thousand._ Overwhelming satisfaction filled the diabolical would be killer; he'd found a way to kill the one who'd hurt Raven. Idly he wondered if she would be grateful. This woman was her enemy, and they would both take pleasure in seeing her perish. He grinned, and hoped the venom would make the death slow and painful; anyone who would harm Raven deserved nothing less.

With savage glee the changeling moved forward and repeated the process. Heart racing, he waited for his foe to regenerate. She did so slowly, as if struggling, and her breathing was harsh. The fear that consumed her eyes filled him with exhilaration, and his bo staffed raised once more. The woman's eyes followed it with horror written on her face. They both knew she might not recover if he was to again brutally dismember her. Defeated, the villainess closed her yes, not expecting mercy.

"Beast Boy. Stop." Raven pleaded, barely able to speak above a whisper. "She can't hurt anyone anymore." The violet-eyed girl had been exhausted to the point of collapse, and her body severely beaten. Her vision became bleary, and then faded, as she tried to watch. Still exposed to the icy-cold wind, the adrenaline rush that'd keep her going faded, and she sank back to the ground where she lost consciousness.

His bo staff froze, lifted in the air to finally slash his foe to pieces once and for all. _Why does she ask me to spare to life of someone who hurt her?_ The changeling wondered. _It makes no sense. The others might've been apprentices. But this woman is an enemy who wounded her. _In frustration, not able to understand it, Ghostling growled savagely as he slowly lowered his weapon. The frustration became panic as he saw the woman called Raven collapse.

Moving swiftly, the changeling grabbed her dropped cloak and covered her. Her pulse was slow, but normal for her, though he wasn't sure how he knew that. From the deep recesses of his mind the knowledge of what to do came to him. He found the communicator that'd been wrenched from her grasp so long ago, and hit a button. It sent the message. 'Emergency. Titan in need of immediate assistance.'

Dropping the device beside her, he launched himself into the sky. From three hundred feet away, he watched as an eagle as the Titans started to arrive. Mas y Menos were on the scene in less than a minute. Starfire swooped down just seconds after that, followed by Bumblebee a minute later.

Ghostling watched carefully, prepared to intervene should they try to harm her. That she'd healed them, didn't guarantee they would try to help her in return. To his relief, it seemed they were trying to do just that, help her. In fact, to his amazement, the one called Starfire immediately pulled off her purple top and skirt, as skimpy as they were, and used the clothes to try to warm the one called Raven, leaving the redheaded Titan dressed in only a cheerfully bright-green bra and matching panties. Hesitating for only a few second longer, the one called Bumblebee did the same with her long black pants. Tilting bis head, he could barely hear her state that she didn't wear a bra. The panties she wore were a pale blue.

With the half-frozen girl now well wrapped, Starfire and Bumblebee took to the air, heading straight for the tower with her held securely between them. Mas y Menos flashed ahead of them, heading in the same direction as they dragged the barely conscious form of Madame Rouge along the ground in a less than gentle manner.

Not knowing what else to do, Ghostling took to the air once more to survey his city. For some reason he was glad his attempts to kill the ones called Starfire and Bumblebee had met with failure. It took him only a short time to figure out the reason. _They also protect the one called Raven, and that is good._

* * *

Warmth the likes of which she'd never felt before surrounded her, penetrating through every fiber of her being. Slowly, with great weariness, and a hint of fear, her violet-colored eyes opened.

"What's wrong with her." Bumblebee's voice asked from somewhere.

"From the scans it looks like she was pumped full of toxin, to be precise Inland Taipan snake venom."

"Oh." There was a long pause. "Do you think it was Beast Boy."

"It must have been." Starfire interjected. "There is no one else who would have used such a weapon."

"What I don't understand." Cyborg spoke. "Is how the venom was spread throughout her body. She doesn't have much of a circulatory system. It should've taken days to affect her. So if it was Beast Boy then the fight must've taken days ago, if not a week or more."

Raven pushed at the electric blankets that were hot enough to almost scorch her flesh, managing to shove some of them aside.

"Friend Raven." Starfire was immediately at her side. "Are you okay?"

"I'll live." She intoned weakly. "How did I get here?"

"Your communicator sent out a distress signal. Weren't you the one who sent it?" Cyborg asked.

"No. Madame Rouge took it from me. How is she?" _Did Beast Boy kill her? _She cringed at the thought, wondering if her friend was now a killer.

"She's certainly not fine, but she'll live." The titanium-clad Titan answered. "Her body is full of spots of snake venom, for which we've thankfully got plenty of antivenom on hand." This last he muttered under his breath before he continued. "To deliver it though, since her circulatory system isn't much of it, we've got to use a needle and inject it into each spot where she's infected. It's going to take a while, and it's going to hurt her like hell."

"But she'll be okay?" The girl sighed in relief. "Beast Boy hadn't kill her."

"She'll be fine." Cyborg answered. "Now tell us what happened."

Raven sighed. "All I wanted to do was get out of the tower for a bit and have some tea and muffins. I was going to bring you guys back some I swear."

* * *

"So friend Beast Boy saved you?" Starfire asked ten minutes later.

"He did." Raven smiled, feeling hope. He was still alive, and there was still some good in him.

"Wonderful news." The orange-skinned alien bounced off her seat. "I may even forgive him for nearly killing friend Robin twice." She frowned. "Maybe."

"He's not himself." The half demon replied. "I tried to sense his mind, but it was cold." She shivered. "It's as though the good-natured part of him that loved to tell stupid jokes is gone."

"Could you tell why?" Cyborg asked.

"No. I wasn't touching him, so I could only get a sense of what he was like. Physically he's fine. But his mind ..." She shuddered.

"Still." Starfire mused. "He has gone from trying to kill us, to protecting at least friend Raven. That is good."

"It is." Raven gave a hint of a tired smile.

"He's saved Steel City some grief as well." Bumblebee spoke. "If Madam Rogue had captured you and got back to the Brain the Brotherhood of Evil would've been up to mischief there. We would've been forced to return.

Realizing something, Raven looked around. "I ordered a full day of bed rest for Cyborg, who I see is standing. And for Robin and Aqualad. Where are those two and why aren't you in bed." Her eyes stared into those of the cybernetic teen.

"I was needed to scan Madame Rouge and see what was wrong with her." The suddenly fearful titanium-clad teen gulped, as he explained.

"I needed to check on what the Brotherhood of Evil was up to." Robin informed her, entering the room. "And I have some more good news." He pointed to the doorway.

Aqualad entered, looking nervously at Raven.

Remembering the way his hands had felt on her she suppressed a tiny shudder.

"The porpoises left a while ago." The Atlantean said. "But a school of dolphins have been having fun just off the coast. They say they spotted a green falcon hunting several miles out at sea."

"Green?" Raven asked, along with an excited Starfire and a hopeful Cyborg.

"Not just green." The boy continued. "One of them claims to have seen him land on an island, and change into a fox before he ate the gull he killed. The fox was green too."

"So we need to watch out at sea." Cyborg murmured. "That's going to be a lot of space to keep an eye on."

"True. But according to the dolphins he always hunts early in the morning, and just a few hours before dark." Aqualad added. "And he probably lands on an island to eat. There aren't that many close to here, and I've asked the dolphins to keep an eye on several of the larger ones." The Atlantean looked at his watch. "If he uses one of those, and sticks to his usual time of hunting, we should hear something in less than an hour."

The four members of Titans West held their breath for a few seconds as they silently hoped.

"I'm going out to join the dolphins." Aqualad informed them. "If I hear anything, I'll call."

* * *

It was thirty minutes later that their communicators beeped. Beast Boy was chowing down on another seagull just nine miles from Titans Tower. The T-ship, already prepared, headed towards it.

"Raven should be the one to approach him first." Starfire said as they closed the distance.

"Why?" Robin asked.

"When we found him robbing the bank, she was the one closest to him, yet he didn't bite her. When he infiltrated the tower, he refused to attack her. And now he saved her. I think he will not attack her. Maybe of all of us, she is the one he recalls the best." The orange-skinned girl paused with a small frown. "He certainly put enough effort in trying to make her laugh, and she certain got angry at him enough. Maybe he remembers that."

"We should approach as a group. There's safety in numbers." Boy Wonder stated.

"I'll go alone." Raven countered him. "One person is less threatening than nine." She looked around. Titans East were beside them in their own T-ship.

"True." Starfire agreed.

"I don't like it." Cyborg and Robin chorused.

"Tough luck." Raven intoned. "Keep your distance unless he attacks."

Robin mumbled, but backed down from the half demon's forceful attitude.

* * *

Using what remained of her energy, the violet-eyed girl levitated, and approached the island. From the air she saw him in the form of a fox.

The approach of the T-ship didn't go unnoticed by the shape shifter, but it stopped more than two miles away so he paid it no heed.. He was surprised when the one called Raven left the small ship and approached, walking through the air.

"Hello." The violet-eyed girl spoke from twenty feet away. "Thank you for saving my life today." She added.

Ghostling gulped excitedly to have her so near and speaking to him. He reverted to his human form, but didn't know what to say.

"We call you Beast Boy. Is that the name you go by now?"

He shook his head, and decided this one person he would speak to. "Slade gave me the name Ghostling." The shape shifter answered.

"Oh. Do you mind if I continue to call you Beast Boy. It's the one I'm used to using." She watched the shimmering armor. It certainly made him appear ghost-like, and the way he'd avoided Madame Rouge's attack earlier had been ... _It was like she was trying to hit something that wasn't there. _The violet-eyed girl thought.

"If you wish." _It's just a name. _Ghostling decided. _And for that matter it was one given to me by someone who I didn't like._

"Thanks." She sat down to rest, feeling exhausted, yet so overwhelmingly happy. She couldn't help but beam a smile at her friend.

Unable to stop himself, Ghostling beamed back.

"Slade gave you that name?" Raven asked warily, wondering if he would take offense at the question.

"Yes. I was to be an assassin and a thief, and move unseen like a ghost. Hence the name."

"Oh." _He sounds cooperative and friendly. _The violet-eyed girl thought. _His mind is still cold and ruthless, but I sense no outright hostility._ "Slade sent you to kill us?" She dared to ask.

"The first time you tried to stop me from robbing a bank, and I'd been ordered to kill anyone who spotted me. The second time he told me to eliminate all the Titans. But it won't happen again, he's dead."

_Are you sure? _She wanted to ask, but didn't want to anger him by appearing to disbelieve his words.

Ghostling sensed her disbelief. "He tried to fool me with a robot." He explained. "But his scent was on it, and I traced it to where he lived. He called a grim reaper of souls to kill me."

Her eyes went wide. _No one messes with such spells without a damn good reason. _She emphatically told herself. _He must be mistaken._

"Twelve feet of darkness, forged from the darkest of nights, with eyes that were darker still." The changeling shuddered as he recalled the creature. "The being carried a scythe that was as long as it was tall; it glowed with a light that was pure white, able to burn ones very soul." He looked at the one called Raven. "I will never forget it. But he must've made a mistake with the spell. It reaped his soul and not mine. Then it vanished."

"Oh." _Not many would know that description. _She gulped at the thought. _One villain we won't have to worry about ever again. At least his blood isn't on Beast Boy's hands._

"Do you plan to attack us again?" She asked.

"No. I might kill some of the people in the city for fun, though I haven't yet. The Titans I will leave alone."

Raven gulped at the way he spoke of killing people. It was as though the very idea brought him excitement. "Do you remember being Beast Boy?" She asked.

"No. But Slade once mentioned that name to me. It was just before he died."

"Oh. You're very different from him. We would like to know why."

"I don't remember anything from before I woke up a little over two weeks ago." Ghostling explained, apologetically.

"Would you mind coming to the tower with us. You would have to promise not to attack or kill anyone while you're there."

"Would I be attacked?"

"No. Not by us anyway. But there are others who might attack us, and thus attack you. Such as the woman you saved me from earlier. We would like to know why you're so different from Beast Boy. He, you, is our friend, and a comrade who we loved."

Ghostling frowned. "What is comrade and friend?" He asked.

Raven frowned, not sure how to answer. "They're words for bonds between people." She finally explained. "They mean we trust and protect each other."

"Oh. That was different from the way things had been between him and Slade. He pondered on the question. There was a huge amount of risk in extending such ... trust. That word was so foreign to him, thought he could vaguely recall what it meant. He would be on their territory, and thus vulnerable. Still, he was interested in who he'd been before, and it meant he would get to see the one called Raven for a little while longer.

"Okay." Ghostling finally answered, unable to resist the lure of the woman with the violet-eyes.

"Thank you." The one called Raven smiled at him again, and his heart raced.

* * *

Raven was lying, half dozing on one of the clinic's cots, unable to stay awake, yet refusing to go to bed. Happiness, mixed with fear, tore at her. Robin and Starfire rested impatiently in nearby chairs. Across the room, Beast Boy cautiously allowed Cyborg to run several scans. Her own powers had showed that he was physically fine, though certain functions of his brain had been altered. Anything to do with mercy and compassion had been either dampened, or was totally nonexistent. Those that dealt with aggression had been excited. It scared her. Slade had basically made him a killing machine. There would be no guilt regardless of how many lives he ended; no sorrow for those he sent to their graves. In fact, hurting and killing people would be exhilarating to him.

She'd tried to heal the damage, to order his brain to return to its normal state, but something had resisted the command.

Ghostling frowned the entire time the cybernetic Titan was performing his tests. Any one of the many devices pointed at him might've been a weapon. Still, the one called Raven wasn't far away, and she didn't seem to think anything bad was going to happen. He'd already seen how merciful she was with her enemies. Concealing his fear, he allowed the Titan to continue the scans.

"Done." Cyborg said an hour later.

"What did Slade do to him?" Raven was instantly fully awake, as were Starfire and Robin.

The cybernetic teen took a deep sigh that echoed with tiredness, and placed what appeared to be a three-dimensional x-ray of some sort on a large screen. "That's a scan of his brain, which seems to be the only thing Slade modified. He pushed a button and thousands of small lights covered the screen. "That's basically a neural network that connects over ten-thousand small devices that suppressed brain activity in some places, while enhancing it in others. It's the equivalent of massive brain surgery without actually cutting the brain itself. It's precise enough to mechanically excise specific memories, while allowing him to retain the knowledge of certain skills. It eliminates things like compassion, while amplifying things like aggression." The tired Titan frowned. "There's more, but in a nutshell that's what it does."

"Can you remove it?" Raven immediately asked. Then she froze, looking at Beast Boy, knowing he might violently resist such an action.

Ghostling continued to study the screen even as his ears told him how eager all four of the Titans were to get their friend back. _Of course. _He calmly mused. _If they remove the device then I'll no longer be me, I'll be Beast Boy again. I wonder what he was like._

"It's possible, though ..." The cybernetic teen sighed. "It would have to be done soon. His brain is adapting to its new configuration. A few more weeks and removing the device won't do anything. He'll be permanently programmed. Even now it'll take a while for him get back to normal, though you'll be able to speed thing if the network isn't there to stop you."

_Permanently programmed. _The words echoed in Ghostling mind. _Permanently programmed by the one I hate the most._ That was what made up his mind. That and the fact it would make the one called Raven happy. He would die for her. "How long before you can remove it?" He simply asked. There were sighs of relief that echoed throughout the room, though he thought it likely only his ears picked them up.

"Now." Cyborg said, clearly eager to get his friend back, and to get things over with before Ghostling could change his mind.

"Okay. Do it."

"It was a simple matter despite the device being embedded in Ghostling's brain. Each circuit of the complex neural network had to be incredibly small to fit inside the changeling's skull, and that made it fragile. Designed to run from the electrical activity of the brain itself, even a small electric current, sent directly to the device, caused most of it to evaporate without doing much damage to the surrounding tissue. Several such treatments destroyed it completely, thought it would take a while for the shape shifter's body to clear away the debris.

"I don't feel any different." Ghostling stated, feeling a little paranoid as he wondered if the device had even existed in the first place.

"Here." Raven tiredly knelt beside him. This time when she ordered his brain to heal to its normal form, it started to obey.

Ghostling blinked and looked around. "Are you still riding on the back of his motorcycle?" He asked Starfire.

"I am." She beamed at him. "Thank you for such a splendid idea friend Beast Boy." She pulled him into a hug that was a bit too tight, and more than a bit too long.

"I have some of his memories." The blushing teen said, appearing deep in thought. "But I'm still more Ghostling than Beast Boy."

"Your brain has been in an altered state for quite a while." Cyborg said, pulling him into a hug. "It'll return to its natural configuration given enough time. Raven can help with it some more once she's rested."

The changeling nodded. Suddenly he turned pale, and threw up on the floor. "Oh my god." He cried in mind-boggling horror. "I ate raw seagull. Dozens of them." He sent more vomit hurtling into a waste bin.

Despite the vomit. Raven pulled her friend into a hug of her own. From deep in her mind she thought she heard Happy yelling, 'Ya Ya Ya, BB is back." And she could've sworn she could feel Rage smiling gleefully in triumph. Timid was giving a deep sigh of relief, and smiling with little sign of her usual faint-heartedness. In all, despite the vomit coated mouth inches from her own, the violet-eyed girl felt wonderful.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Beast Boy is back, sort of. It will take a while for him to return to his normal self.

Wonder how the other Titans will cope with the way he almost killed them, and how he will cope with his actions.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	8. Chapter 8

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_No fight scenes this chapter, though some sparring. Some next time around._

_Why was Ghostling so willing to give up is own life to resume that of Beast Boy? Read to find out._

_Most of their missions are within the city, and they might have emergency supplies in the T-car. Unfortunately Cyborg was out of action. Besides, I best Ghostling/Beast Boy enjoyed the show. (Not to mention Mas y Menos)_

_Not just the armor, but new skills and better knowledge of himself. Like Terra after being trained by Slade, he's a much formidable fighter now._

_Time: Three days later._

* * *

_**Rage in Nevermore,... Back to Normal,... Acceptance,... Starfire and Beast Boy Talk,... A Sparring Session with a Talk,... The Book,... Chess,...**_

The violet-eyed girl rose from her meditation, grabbed the mirror that was a portal to her mind as she did so.

"He's back." She informed the yellow-clad emoticlone who, of course, would already know.

"Our Beastie is back!" Happy exclaimed as she tackled Raven, knocking her to the ground.

"Ow!" The bruised girl muttered, wondering if coming here had been such a bright idea.

"That's good." Knowledge replied, marking the page in her book and closing it. "Maybe now Rage will settle down." Her sarcastic tone expressed how likely she thought that was.

Looking around, the half demon saw Timid sitting across the clearing, half hidden by a tree. It looked like a half-hearted attempt to hide. There was the slightest trace of a smile on her face.

"Interesting that he saw a grim reaper of souls and lived." Knowledge said, pushing her spectacles back up. "Obviously the spell was cast right since the demigod appeared in the first place. Which means Beast Boy should be dead." She frowned, deep in thought.

"I know." Raven replied. "I've questioned him on it, and his description of what it looked like is exactly the same as what my books say it should." She took a seat beside the yellow-clad emoticlone. "So why is he still alive?"

"No clue." Knowledge bluntly replied with a sigh. "And it's driving me crazy."

"There's no mark on Slade's body." She, along with the whole team, had went in force to the place Beast Boy had claimed the master criminal lived.

"And your spells gave no clue as to the cause of death." The yellow-clad emoticlone noted. "No signs of magical or natural causes. Just like the death a grim reaper would deliver."

"I think we can conclude his description is accurate." Raven added.

"Agreed." Knowledge stated. "Which still leaves the question. Why is Beast Boy still alive?"

An ominous, glowering, presence caused them to look up. Rage was standing just a few feet away.

"He's back and safe." Raven needlessly told the red-clad emoticlone with a slight smile.

"I know." Came the glowering demonic reply. The scowling figure still didn't move, and instead stared at the two as if expecting more.

"Hmmm. What do you want Rage?" Knowledge asked with a tiny cringe.

"Don't you two have more important stuff to do?" Came the angry reply.

"Such as?" Raven asked, deciding it was her turn since Knowledge had dared to ask the last question.

"He likes someone." The red-clad emoticlone ground her teeth together, and nearly spat the words out.

"Oh." The half demon didn't know what to say in reply to that.

"So." Rage fumed angrily. "Aren't we going to find out who it is and kill them?" The red-clad figure waited, clearly in no mood to take no for an answer.

Raven gulped at how serious sounding the part of her that represented her hate sounded. "I don't think that would be a good idea." She tried to calm the emoticlone down. "Besides, Starfire could be wrong. Knowing Beast Boy he was probably just eager to get back to a video game or something."

"Hrmph." Came the ill-tempered response.

"I very much doubt killing someone Beast Boy likes would make him like you in return." Knowledge stated reasonably.

The red-clad emoticlone shrugged. "Then scare her off." She tried to reasonable in return. "Send her to my domain for a few hours. I won't kill her, but she won't touch my Beast Boy, not ever."

The idea made Raven cringe. "Let's not do that." She cautiously suggested.

Rage closed her four glowing eyes, and gave a slow deep sigh as if one with great patience and understanding was being sorely put to the test. She remained standing, and resumed staring at the two.

"What now?" Knowledge asked.

"Starfire." Came the calm reply.

Raven gulped fearfully. "What about her?"

"Beast Boy called her exotic. And she likes him. Kill her!" The red-clad emoticlone spoke as if the order was both rational and reasonable.

"No." Raven replied adamantly. "When I was having those nightmares she helped me a lot."

There was another great sigh. "What're you going to do when she get tired of waiting for bird brain and catches my Beast Boy?" The red-clad emoticlone asked.

"Nothing." The frustrated girl instantly replied.

Rage scowled. "Be too late then." She warned. "Think about fish boy's hands on you, and then think about Beast Boy's hands on you."

"Why would I ..." Raven started to asked.

Obviously having her patience tried too much the red-clad emoticlone scowled and vanished.

"My head." The violet-haired girl groaned. "She always makes my head ache."

"She does have that affect on people." Knowledge agreed, pushing her spectacles back in place.

* * *

"That should be the last time." Raven intoned as she withdrew her hands from Beast Boy's forehead.

"Thanks." The shape shifter smiled up at her. "Interesting few weeks, huh?"

"Interesting?" She gasped, and her facade crumbled for a second. "You know how many people you nearly killed?" The half demon fumed with dark energy flickering at her fingertips.

"Trust me, Raven." The green-skinned Titan was suddenly more solemn. "You wouldn't want to know."

She gulped. "Did you?" Immediately she regretted the question, not wanting to know the answer.

"No. Thankfully." The changeling's eyes seemed to peer blindly into the distance. "Though I really wanted to." He added. "I wanted to see blood, and I wanted to kill." The boy shuddered. "At night, sometimes, in my dreams, I still do. They're horrible. Even worse than my usual nightmare."

"That'll fade." The violet-eyed girl intoned, feeling relieved. "If not, then in a week come and see me."

"Maybe." The green-skinned Titan shrugged. "But each moment of our lives we add new experiences, and new thoughts. I've added three weeks worth since then; I have no doubts there'll be a permanent impact. I'm not who I was, and never will be." There was sadness in his voice.

Raven frowned. "You're still Beast Boy." She stated clearly, booking no argument.

"True." He shrugged, and the smile returned. "Just one who knows what raw seagull tastes like. I wish I could say it was horrible but I loved it."

"Is that why you puked all over the clinic?" She asked sarcastically, remembering the scene. It was one of the happiest moments of her life.

"No. As a fox I loved the taste; it just disgusted me."

"Oh." The violet-eyed girl looked around the clinic. "Without you tearing us to pieces this place looks pretty empty." She intoned.

Beast Boy looked around. "Sorry." He closed his eyes, recalling what he'd done and just how lucky his friends were to be alive. A shudder ran through him.

"Breakfast?" The hungry girl intoned, with a slight touch of comfort on his shoulder that lasted for a few brief seconds.

"Sure." He turned and gave her a tired smile.

* * *

They found the rest of team in the kitchen area preparing their own breakfast. Both Cyborg and Robin were wolfing down pancakes covered in maple syrup. Starfire was burying hers in mustard before consuming them with delightful relish.

The silence as the shape shifter entered was deafening. _I know they're glad to have me back. _He mused. _But moments like these are ... uncomfortable. _Yet he understood. The prank where he'd drank the blood of his cybernetic friend had been bad enough. SInce then he'd poisoned him so that he had nearly died, and then sliced him to pieces. It was much the same with Robin. _Wonder if things will ever get back to normal? _The changeling pondered with a tiny frown.

"Want me to cook you some pancakes?" Cyborg finally spoke, breaking the awkward silence. He looked at Raven.

"Sure." She replied, taking a seat._ Things are back to normal, almost. _She quietly sighed.

"You?" The cybernetic teen hesitantly turned to looked at Beast Boy.

"Sure." The green-skinned Titan nearly wept as he took a seat across from Raven. They cringed from him, but were working hard to accept him back. Heart aching with joy, he happily ate, feeling like a part of the Teen Titan family again.

For while there was peace.

Robin looked up. "Starfire. I've been thinking. Your surveillance from the air is important for the missions. You can spot the situation we're getting into before any of us on the ground can." He took a deep breath. "No more riding on the back of my motorcycle." He informed her.

The usually jubilant girl paused in the middle of pouring mustard on her last pancake. "I see." She said with a calm voice as she met his gaze. "As you wish. I will no longer chase you or try to make you my boyfriend." Leaving her plate on the table, the orange-skinned Titan walked from the room without the slightest hint of a bounce in her steps.

"Dude." Cyborg started.

"Safety comes first." Robin interrupted him.

Beast Boy closed his eyes, wishing to tear into Boy Wonder, but knowing it would just make things worse. Silently he ate.

* * *

Ten minutes later, following the scent the girl had left behind, Beast Boy stood beside her on the roof. "Sorry." He said.

"It is not your fault. For a while I had great fun riding behind him and holding my arms around him."

"Something's wrong somewhere." The changeling sighed aloud. "He's interested. Normally someone like you would have to beat a guy off, not chase him."

"Maybe he likes the way I look, but does not like that I am Tamaranean." The girl fumed.

"He's a guy and you're a cute girl. When it comes to hormones there's no such thing as human and Tamaranean."

Starfire smiled. "That is the way it would work on Tamaran. Are you saying that is the way it should work here?"

"Yeah."

"So why are you not with the girl you like?"

Beast Boy gulped. "Who says I like a girl?"

"You do. The way you act says it clearly. No lies please. I do not wish to be more confused than I am."

"I'm short and green, with fangs and claws. I'm not what a girl looks for in a guy." He shrugged. "She can do better."

"You are cute." The orange-skinned Tamaranean stated. "You are also smart and kind. If she cannot see that, then it is her loss."

The shape shifter smiled. "You and Raven are the only ones who still treat me as if nothing has changed, though the others are trying really hard." His tone overflowed with appreciation that suggested the green-skinned Titan was on the brink of tears.

"I am Tamaranean." The girl replied as if that explained everything, and embraced him in a brief hug. "When you were lost a part of me was lost. Now that you are home my family is complete once again."

"That's a pretty simple way of putting it." Beast Boy mused. "I like it."

"Ow." The redhead suddenly cried, and tried to rub the back of neck.

"What's wrong?" The concerned Titan was immediately on the alert for danger.

"My neck aches." The girl explained with a grimace. "I have kept my emotions suppressed too long least I anger friend Robin. Now I am ... not happy." The orange-skinned Titan shrugged painfully. "It seems to have taken its toll on me."

"If you wish?" Beast Boy raised his hands.

Starfire nodded. "Please."

"I know human anatomy pretty well." The shape shifter explained as he rubbed the aching muscles. "But I'm afraid I'm clueless when it comes to Tamaraneans. If I do anything that hurts say so."

"Do not worry. I will." The girl sighed as the pain was rubbed away. "You are good at this." She added, smiling.

"I haven't done this since I was seven, almost eight." Beast Boy mused, speaking half to himself. "I guess some memories never fade."

"Eight?" Starfire asked, eyes closed.

"My mother used to stay up too late working, and her neck would cramp up. When my father was home he would massage away the pain. But there were days when he was gone. When I was nearly seven she stayed up all night working and could barely move. I wanted to help her. She did so many things for me, and I was glad when I found one way to repay her."

"It sounds as if you loved her, and she you."

"She was my mother." The simple words said it all. "Does it feel better?"

"Yes, Thank you friend Beast Boy." The girl smiled at him.

"Don't go doing anything reckless." He warned.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm guessing you're feeling pretty bad." The green-skinned Titan shrugged. "Tamaranean follow their emotions, and I'm guessing yours is telling you to run right now."

"You understand my people pretty well." The girl admitted. "I will not. At least not yet. You are all still my family."

"Good." He smiled back at her. "If your neck gives you any more trouble let me know." He wiggled his fingers.

"I will." Her smile brightened. "May I ask you a question?" She asked.

"Sure." The shape shifter focused his entire attention on the girl. Her asking permission to ask a question was something new.

"How long will you wait for the girl you like to response to your affections?" The Tamaranean's voice was deadly serious.

"I don't know. The way I see it in time crushes just fade. When the time comes I'll let it go and move on."

"I see. Do you think I should move on and forget friend Robin?"

The changeling stared up at the sky, giving the question serious thought. "Only you can answer that." He finally replied. "Something is going on that neither of us know about. That could change. If there's another you have equal feeling for, then perhaps you should move on. But if not, then waiting a bit longer won't do any harm. Even Boy Wonder's skull is only so thick. He'll eventually realize what a good thing he has in you."

"Perhaps not equal, but certainly growing in that direction." The orange-skinned Titan replied. "Sometime though I hate being Tamaranean, and being so emotional." She added with a sigh.

"Emotions saved me from Slade." Beast Boy replied with a shrug. "So I wouldn't dismiss them so easily."

"How so?" She peered at him curiously.

"His mistake was in allowing me to keep my emotions, especially hate and love. There's no one in the world I hated more than Slade, and even though he wiped my memories the feelings I had remained." The green-skinned changeling turned to watch the sparkling blue water of the ocean. "Whenever I saw him the rage would burn within me. It kept his attempts to condition me to be loyal only to him from completely taking hold. He also allowed me to keep the ability to feel love, thought he tried to twist it so it was killing I enjoyed. Yet when I saw the girl I liked, I knew she was different, and it gave me the power to counter my more basic desires. At the time I couldn't understand why, but I couldn't harm her. I'd been corrupted to the point where I would kill any person in the world with a happy smile, yet her I couldn't touch. When the time came for Ghostling to die, to allow that device to be removed, he didn't hesitate. She was the reason why."

"Oh." The orange-skinned alien stared at her fellow Titan.

"Sorry for rambling so much." Beast Boy smiled apologetically. He rarely spoke of his feelings or his past, but now he felt comfortable doing so. He guessed it was the way they'd accepted him back despite what he'd done. His trust in them had grown to the point where he could now talk about things he never would've before.

"Raven is the one you like." Starfire stated, almost sadly.

The shape shifter blinked, and then gulped. "Why would you say that?" He asked, wondering how to dissuade her of the idea without actually lying.

"Each time we fought she was the one you never hurt." The girl replied. "So I thought that might be the case, and suggested she be the one to approach Ghostling. When she asked if the device in your brain could be removed, it was as though he only considered her wants. As you said, he allowed himself to die to make someone happy, and Raven was the one he was looking at."

_So much for dissuading her. _The panic-stricken boy silently sighed.

"You should tell her." Starfire suggested.

"And make her uncomfortable around me. I think not."

"If you tell her, then she will consider it. If you do not, then she may never believe it possible." The orange-skinned girl stared out over the water as she spoke.

For a while they stood in a comfortable silence.

"I have something to do." Beast Boy finally said. "Are you okay?"

"I am." The girl beamed a smile his way. "I think I am closer to understanding earth love. It requires more patience than on Tamaran."

'If you understand it, then you're one up on us earthlings." The shape shifter smiled at her as he turned and left.

* * *

Quickly clearing her plate, Raven wondered what to do. Starfire had let her sleep in her room. Had talked to her and cheered her up when she was having nightmares. _Actually. _The violet-haired girl mused. _It's pretty obvious what I should do. Go and talk to her. But what do I say? _She thought about it for a few seconds, and decided to wing it. She wasn't good with emotional talks, but her friends understood that and let it pass when she said something wrong. It'd worked pretty well a few times in the past.

The half demon sent her senses outward, searching for the girl, and found her on the roof with Beast Boy. _Seems like he had the same idea. _She idly thought as she climbed the steps to save energy. It took more than a day or two to recover from weeks of being constantly drained by over use of her powers, not to mention the repeating nightmares.

_She seems to be feeling better. _The violet-haired girl mused, with her senses still tracking the orange-skinned girl. _A lot better._

Stepping onto the roof she observed Beast Boy with his hands on the redhead's shoulders. She paused, and stepped back. For some reason Rage's words filled her mind. _'What're you going to do when she get tired of waiting for bird brain and catches my Beast Boy?' _ The red-clad emoticlone had asked. Raven paused and considered them. She had said 'nothing,' but what she really wanted to do was tear them apart.

Her lips turned down in a slight frown. _Maybe it's sort of like being an overprotective big sister. _She decided. _Yeah, that's it. I don't want to see him get hurt again like with Terra. His pain then was ... horrible. _She shuddered as she recalled the pure misery he'd radiated for days._ But if Starfire is moving on, then they could be good together. They're both emotional people, but they're also kind and caring and responsible. They'll make the perfect couple. _The half demon turned away, though the frown remained on her lips.

* * *

Beast Boy entered the practice room where Boy Wonder was tearing into a punching bag with a ferocity that made the green-skinned Titan cringe. That something was bothering their leader was obvious.

"Want a sparring partner?" The shape shifter casually asked, walking over to where several mats were on the floor.

"I feel more like pounding the stuffing out of a few punching bags." Robin replied, almost growling. "Not in the mood to pull any punches."

"It's been a while." Beast Boy said, watching as a split appear in the poor punching bag and started to spread. It wouldn't last much longer. "I'm finally back to being normal enough to risk sparring without trying to kill one of you." He shuddered. "I know I've said it before, but I'm sorry."

Robin shrugged. "At least you had a reason for becoming his apprentice. You were brainwashed. More than what I can say for myself."

"You didn't try to kill anyone." The changeling responded.

"True." Boy Wonder admitted. "Okay, lets spar." He walked over to the mats.

The changeling relaxed his entire body as he focused his whole attention of the movement of the air around him. He patiently waited with his head slightly tilted.

"You going to get ready?" Robin asked, examining the casual stance his opponent had taken.

"I'm ready."

Boy Wonder snapped a punch at his foe only to miss by inches. The kick he followed it with also missed. With a frown, he became a machine of destruction. Punches and kicks were thrown with a speed the eye couldn't followed. Through it all the shape shifter barely appeared to move, yet every blow thrown by one the world's best martial artist never touched him.

The changeling stood still, and as the attacks moved the air his form automatically responded, flashing back and forth between human and amoeba faster than thought itself. His eyes casually watched his opponent as if he were calmly contemplating something.

"Starfire is upset." Beast Boy finally said, as his opponent threw a punch at his head.

"She'll get over it." Boy Wonder panted as he moved in to deliver a devastating Reverse Roundhouse Kick. He followed it by a Forefist Punch and then an Elbow Strike.

"She's not human." The shape shifter replied, letting a hint of anger taint his tone. "Her kind is more emotional, so don't say she'll get over it so casually."

The frustrated attacker growled. "We going to fight or talk?" He asked.

The changeling shrugged. "We can do both. It's not like you're going to walk away until you hit me at least once." He grinned at his foe, knowing their leader hated to lose.

Boy Wonder remained quiet and threw several more punches.

"So why don't you want her around?" Beast Boy asked.

"I love having her around." Robin admitted, studying his foe for a weakness.

"Okay. Then let me be more blunt. Why do you ignore her rather than pulling her away somewhere to be alone?" The shape shifter faded around a punch that was followed by a kick.

"None of your business." The leader fumed as he suddenly delivered a Front Snap Kick.

"I would say that was true, but she's my friend and she's hurting."

"It's not that simple." Boy Wonder replied as he threw a simple punch. "The world isn't always a nice place."

"You think I don't know that." Beast Boy replied with a hint of anger. "I saw my parents die before my eyes when I was eight. I spent years with the Doom Patrol beneath a borderline psychotic leader. I just spent two weeks and a bit in the tender care of a nutcase that was training me to kill people by the millions. The world is frigging insane" He yelled the last bit.

"Then you should understand." Robin growled, throwing punches with blinding speed. He was no longer trying to be fancy, but was obviously merely trying to overwhelm his opponent's ability to evade the attacks.

"I don't." The changeling admitted. "It's because the world is insane that you should hold on to her for as long and as hard as you can. You never know when you might lose her. That would be bad enough, but to lose her without having told her you love her would be worse." His body automatically shifted from human to amoeba and back several time as his opponent silently threw punch after punch with blinding speed.

Boy Wonder stepped back. "Losing someone you love hurts. I don't think I could take that again."

Beast Boy silently noted the use of the word 'again.'

"I know the villain sometimes wins." Robin said, staring at his foe. "Sometime they actually kill."

"I know." The green-skinned Titan replied. "That's why I stuck with the Doom Patrol as long as I did. Mento might be crazy, but he was stopping villains who would've otherwise hurt people. When it comes to training Slade had nothing on him, yet it was worth it to save lives. I couldn't save my parents, and I would've done anything to make sure no one ever went through that pain." His voice became calmer. "You love Starfire. All of us know that. Imagine the pain of losing her without having told her that. She's Tamaranean and she _needs_ to hear the words and see signs of it. You're hurting her."

Boy Wonder cringed at that. "If she returned home she would be safe." He stated emphatically.

Beast Boy blinked, stunned. "Right. That's why she had to escape from the Gordanians. Why her sister nearly had her imprisoned for crimes she didn't commit. Why she was nearly forced to marry something from a trashy horror movie."

Robin flinched. "Okay. So her world isn't totally safe." He admitted.

"It's an endless desert inhabited by a warrior culture. They don't have malls, or mustard."

The leader gave a small grin. "I would have to send her some every christmas." He said. "Enough to last her the whole year."

"Cyborg would need to make the T-ship a bit bigger to carry that much mustard." Beast Boy quipped.

"True." Robin agreed. "A lot bigger."

"Be easier to keep here where we can get it from the mall of shopping." The green-skinned Titan suggested. "And where, even if she's not always safe, you can keep an eye on her and show her how much you appreciate her."

"And if I fail her? If she dies?" Boy Wonder's eyes stared blankly into space as he relived his past.

"Then at least she'll know you loved her." The shape shifter replied. "That you cared enough to keep her by your side and share your life with her. You can't know what the future holds, you can only do the best you can. Sometimes it isn't enough, but doing anything else is running away, and I don't think you're that type of person. Embrace her, and let her know she's loved. Give her hugs and kisses. Buy her gifts. That way if she dies, she'll die knowing the person she cared about loved her. And you'll have those memories to cherish. That'll be much better than watching her die knowing you never let her know how you felt. That you denied her the chance to be truly happy."

* * *

Raven sat reading a book on how to summon the grim reaper of death. It wasn't a spell she planned on ever casting, but she was curious how a person could survive seeing a god of death. The only problem was she keep recalling Beast Boy with his hands on Starfire's shoulder. It disturbed her.

Around her the room was filled with the sounds of an insanely violent video game Cyborg was playing alone. Blood and gore splattered across the screen and even she, a half demon, felt faint-hearted as she saw it. In the kitchen area she could see Starfire making some Pudding of Sadness. It was something she'd made each day Beast Boy was gone. Now she was making it for another reason.

With a silent sigh the violet-eyed girl turned her eyes back to the ancient tome that was made out of the hide of something that she thought might've been... She gulped, and thrust the thought out of her mind. With gloved hands she turned a page. She thought actually touching the book directly would make her sick.

When Robin walked in she turned to look at him. He looked ... afraid. _Hope nothing bad happened. _Raven though, wanting nothing more than to sit back and quietly read a book, thought not the one she currently held in her hands.

"Ahem." Robin cleared his throat as he stood watching Starfire who paid him no heed.

"I'm going for a ride on the motorcycle." Boy Wonder told her. "I was wondering if you might like to come?"

Raven noted Cyborg watching their leader as well. Neither of them liked the way he'd treated her at breakfast.

As the silence continued Raven decided to help things along. "Would she ride with you, or have to fly?" She asked.

Robin glanced her way. "I would like it very much if she rode with me. Flying is only for missions. The matter of safety still remains." He turned back to Starfire. "But when I'm going out for a ride like I am now that's not an issue. I like it when you ride with me."

"Really?" The orange-skinned alien asked, finally looking at him.

"Very much so." He gave her a small grin. "But for safety reasons you would have to hold on tight."

"I think I can manage that." The girl replied.

"About time." Cyborg muttered loudly as the two left.

"Agreed." Raven intoned, wondering if she should be wearing a mask while reading the book she held. _After all, I might be breathing in dust from it_. She realized with a nauseated shudder. Her face turned pale, and she thrust the tome far away from her. _I'll use a stick to turn the pages. _She decided. _And use a telescope to read it from a distance. _With a plan in mind, she returned the book to her room where she locked it away. Then she burned the gloves and spent the next thirty minutes washing her hands.

* * *

"Open." Beast Boy cried out when he heard Raven knock on his room door.

"Chess?" The violet-eyed girl asked, stepping into the room?

"Sure." He pushed aside the clutter on his desk and made room for the game.

"What's the score." The changeling asked.

"A hundred and thirty-nine to fifty-five, in my favor." She intoned with a small smile as she pulled up a chair. He always asked that question.

The shape shifter made a typical opening move and waited.

"So you can use magic?" Raven intoned as she studied the board.

"I'm limited to self-enhancing spells. Know any?" He kept his eyes on the board.

"My magic tends to be more energy manipulation than anything else. Sorry." She reached out and moved a pawn forward.

"It also seems I got my own personal portal to a space like your Nevermore, though I can't actually go there. Just send and retrieve shapes from it."

"Interesting." The violet-eyed girl mused as she considered the implications.

"Useful." He agreed. "My more useless animal shapes can be used to store snacks for long trips. No worries about running out of soda now if we got to make any long trips. Like that one to Tamaran."

"A very practical application for magic." The violet-eyed girl intoned with a slight smile. "Storing soda for long trips is very ... useful."

"I agree. Can never have too much soda." Beast Boy pretended he didn't know she was being sarcastic. With a happy smile he studied the board.

The contented girl sat back to consider just what it meant for her friend to be able to use a form of portal magic. It was interesting. She gave a happy sigh.

* * *

End of Chapter.

What is it like inside Beast Boy's portal? The next chapter might show a glimpse of it.

Robin is finally taking things serious with Starfire, which means she's not going to be as interested in Beast Boy. Not that she would interfere while she knows he likes Raven. But Raven did see the two of them together, and might be feeling a slight hint of jealousy, which might change her views a little.

Being accepted back without question by his team increased Beast Boy's trust in them. He's more open about his past.

He seems to be coping with his actions pretty well, but has nightmares about it.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	9. Chapter 9

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_Death Adder: Venomous snake whose bite is fatal 50 percent of the time. It has the fastest strike in the world, and can go from strike position to striking and back again within 0.13 of a second._

_Alpine Swift: A bird that can stay in the air for over 200 days without landing. The young don't land until their 2nd or 3rd year when they start looking for a nesting site._

_Healing spells. Not any he can use on others, but maybe ones he can use to enhance his own ability to regenerate. We'll see._

_Time: The following morning._

* * *

_**Nightmares,... A New Villain Appears,... The First Trick,... Falling for the Distraction,... Five Million Pounds of Bliss,... Beast Boy the Infiltrator,... Nevermore,...**_

Three were the number of nightmares that haunted the changeling each night.

In the first he'd been bitten during an attack by the egotistical, super-intelligent, gorilla called Grodd. Infected with the Sakutia virus death was certain. However, the genius of his parents created a serum that eliminated the deadly disease from his body, giving him the power to change shape. That wasn't the part that bothered him, but rather what had followed. The deranged beast called Grodd had hounded him and his parents through the jungle, eventually killing the two people he loved more than anything. They'd been his world, and on his eighth birthday he'd watched them die before his young, and no longer quite so innocent eyes.

The strange part about that particular nightmare was that he could only remember parts of it. Upon waking he knew there'd been much more that'd slipped his mind. However, that didn't bother him much. Who wanted to remember such horror filled events anyway?

The second nightmare was the death of his fellow Titans. During the first gruesome battle, in the form of the Inland Taipan snake, he'd savagely bit them one after the other, infecting those who'd opposed him with the serpent's deadly venom. This time Cyborg didn't give the warning, and Raven didn't teleport them away. Rather they'd continued to try to subdue him, not knowing they were already dead. As the battle progressed they became sick, and began to vomit. That was when they fled, but it was already too late. With an almost unbearable exhilaration he'd chased them, drooling in anticipation. Cyborg had been sliced to bloody pieces before they could get back to the T-car, and without him there'd been no one to diagnose the poison. In the form a small, green, amoeba he'd clung to the ceiling of the tower's clinic to joyfully observe as events unfolded. He'd seen an overwhelmed Raven shivering, looking green and barely holding on as she poured out her soul trying to heal those he'd bitten. Soon she'd collapsed and her exhausted body had given up the struggle. Bumblebee had died shrieking in agony, while a pale Robin had silently watched. He'd passed away soon after, followed by Speedy. Starfire's skin had protected her from the snake, but the death of her friends had ripped her happiness away. When he became the beast she'd fallen easily as he'd slowly, and very painfully, taken her life.

The third nightmare was much the same as the second. He'd infiltrated the tower and sliced those within unto death. From the clinic's ceiling he'd watched Raven struggle to save her friends. Failing, she'd collapsed weeping. Then he'd done to her as he'd done to Starfire in the second nightmare.

As they went, the nightmares were bad, yet bearable. When the changeling was immersed within them they were vivid, as if he was truly living them; that was bad. But he only had them once a night so when they were over with he always fell into a deep, peaceful sleep; that made them bearable.

The one thing the green-skinned Titan never thought to question was why he never dreamed of the being whose stare had frozen him to the core of his mortal coil, causing his heart to cease beating, even if only briefly, merely by its presence. It was far more frightening than any moral creature such Gorilla Grodd or the human psychopath called Slade. Yet the grim reaper of souls, as far as he knew, never made an appearance in his nightmares.

* * *

Morning came, along with breakfast. Beast Boy and Raven had beaten the others to the kitchen and were both enjoying a plate of tofu eggs and bacon.

The violet-eyed girl was chewing on a strip of bacon, planning her day. _That Nevermore area of his is interesting. I wonder if he's up to some experimentation. _She idly wondered. Her fork dipped down to snare a piece of egg. For some reason when he cooked it the tofu was better than the real thing. _And while I never searched for them, I'm sure my books contain a few self-enhancing spells he can try. I'll have to look into that._

Beast Boy sat across from the silent girl, recognizing that she was deep in thought and would probably not want to be disturbed. He was content, if not exactly happy.

"Glorious mornings friends." Starfire skipped into the room with a big grin on her face.

"Morning Starfire." They both greeted the cheerful girl.

"How did the ride with Robin go last night?" Raven intoned, with her voice showing not a hint of her uncontrollable curiosity.

"It was marvelous." The orange-skinned Titan spoke in a tone filled with pure joy. "We rode for a bit and I held him. Then we stopped at a small place that had hot chocolate. It was delicious and we talked. If there are no missions we will go to see a movie tonight. He said I could watch whatever I wanted so long as he could hold my hand." She whirled around and actually spun off the floor until her head gently nudged the ceiling. "I am so very happy." She needlessly exclaimed.

Raven couldn't help but smile. "So I see." She intoned not quite impassively. "Should I ever find a boyfriend we can double date." The violet-eyed girl didn't believe that would ever happen, but it was a nice dream.

"If you were to date Beast Boy then we could indeed double date." Starfire beamed a dazzling smile at the shocked girl.

"Beast Bo..." Raven laughed. "Right."

The orange-skinned girl froze in place. "Why not?" She asked, clearly puzzled.

"I don't think so Star." Raven's voice held a hint of sarcasm mixed with incredulity.

Beast Boy frowned slightly before he managed to fix his expression into something more neutral.

"Why not?" The puzzled girl asked.

"Just not going to happen." The violet-eyed girl replied. _It would be like dating my very immature, younger, brother. _She silently mused. _And he can do better than a half-demon._

"Why not?" Starfire repeated her question, peering at Beast Boy as well as Raven.

"Give it a rest, Star." The shape shifter spoke, unable to keep a hint of pain from his voice.

The exotic alien girl stopped beaming a smile at them as her joyful mood faded a little. "But it would be fun." She stated, confused.

* * *

The discussion was ended as Robin rushed into the commons room and hit the alarm. The Titans soon gathered.

"I have bad news." Boy Wonder said in a tone that was deadly serious. "I've heard from Batman in Gotham. The Joker is planning an attack on Jump City."

"That is bad." Cyborg spoke, frowning. "Any word on what sort of attack it'll be? And when will Batman get here?"

"No idea, except he stole a large amount of explosives and chemicals. As for Batman." Robin shrugged dejectedly. "KIller Croc and a number of other villains are active in Gotham at the moment. They're keeping him tied down."

"No Batman?" Raven intoned.

"No Batman." Boy Wonder repeated. He glanced at Starfire with an expression of abject terror.

Beast Boy frowned, sensing something was off with their leader. _He's afraid Starfire is going to get hurt. I wonder if maybe the Joker is the one who hurt him so badly before. Who killed someone he loved._

"The Joker's blood is poisonous." Robin needlessly explained, eyes still on the orange-skinned Titan. "Get any of it on your skin and you'll die a very painful death." He gulped, and turned pale as if recalling some dreadful event.

"Will it affect Starfire given she's alien?" The shape shifter asked.

"No idea, but she _will not _risk it." The boy turned to stare at the girl.

"I can use starbolts, so there will be no need for me to touch him." She replied.

"Good. Make sure you keep your distance." This was directed at the orange-skinned Titan as well.

The girl nodded. "I have no wish to die."

"If anyone has to get close to him it should be me or Cyborg." Beast Boy calmly mused.

"Why?" Robin's question demanded an immediate response.

"Cyborg's half metal. If we cover his human parts with plastic he can fight without too much danger of being infected. As for me." He shrugged. "Ghostling's armor pretty much covers me, and even if his blood does touch me I can shape shift into him. That'll make me immune."

"You can shift into something that's intelligent?" There was surprise in Raven's voice.

"I can. I just don't care to. But if it's necessary I will." He looked at Robin. "So there's no need for Starfire to get close to the Joker."

"Agree." Their leader replied, giving his fellow Titan a tiny smile of gratitude.

"How long do we have before he gets here?" Cyborg asked.

"Not sure." Boy Wonder answered. "Batman found out he left yesterday, so he might already be here." He looked at the cybernetic teen. "Can you cover your human parts?"

"Yeah. I have some plastic that can be sprayed on like paint. It'll take days to wear off, and should provide some protection. I'll use a contact lens for my human eye."

"Good." The leader turned to Beast Boy. "You're sure you can change into him should you get infected?"

"Since it'll be his blood that infects me I'll have his DNA. It'll be no problem."

"Good." Robin took a deep breath. "People, the Joker isn't like the villains we usually fight. Adonis and his ilk are merely attention seekers. Cinderblock is just hired muscle. Think of this psychopath as Slade on steroids."

"Wow man. You're really freaked out." Cyborg noted nervously.

"Yes I am." Boy Wonder admitted without hesitation. "And I have good reason to be."

"We have a number of advantages Batman doesn't." Beast Boy said, trying to calm their leader down. "He usually works alone, except maybe for Batgirl. Plus he's more of a close-range fighter." He looked around. "There're five of us, and we have three people who are good at fighting from a distance."

"True." Robin agreed. "Still, don't underestimate him."

The changeling smiled a cold calculating grin, causing those around him to suddenly shiver in fear. "I won't." He simply said.

"Good." Boy Wonder gulped and stared back nervously.

Beast Boy's expression returned to normal. "So we meet in an hour to make plans?" He asked. "You haven't eaten yet, and it's best to think when you're not distracted by hunger."

"An hour." Their leader agreed.

* * *

As she usually did, Starfire went to retrieve the mail while Robin and Cyborg cooked breakfast.

"Look friends." She held up a small package. "We have received sample music from a new band. Let us listen to it together."

Beast Boy instinctively leapt. He didn't use his human form to do so, but for less than a tenth of a second he became a Death Adder and struck. Keeping his momentum, he resumed his human form. It took him less than half a second to cross the twenty-foot distance between him and Starfire to brutally smash the package she held out of her hands.

The people around him froze for a second, and then prepared for action. Cyborg lifted his cannon, while Robin grabbed for discs. Black energy erupted around Raven's hands, thought she was looking at the envelope on the floor and not the green-skinned Titan. Starfire was startled, but still flashed away from him.

Seeing their reaction Beast Boy let his body relax, offering no sign of threat. "Evacuate the room." He ordered, before anyone actually had time to respond. "There's a gas of some sort coming from that CD." He held an arm over his face and walked slowly away.

"A neurotoxin of some sort." Cyborg informed them an hour later. "The amount it's giving off now isn't too bad, but if it'd been put in the DVD player the action would've caused a massive release of the gas. It would've attacked our brains and caused insanity before it finally killed us."

"Will Starfire be okay?" Robin asked. "She was touching the disc."

"She didn't touch the CD, though she opened the envelope it was in." Beast Boy informed him. He turned towards Cyborg to see what he had to say.

"She's no more at risk than any of us are." The titanium-clad teen shrugged, though his expression was serious. "It seems we've seen the Joker's first joke."

"Risu Scurra." Raven intoned, and everyone turned to look at her. "That was the name of the band marked on the enveloped." She informed them. "It's latin for Smile of the Joker. I was about to grab the disc but someone beat me to it." Her violet eyes peered at the shape shifter.

"Wonder if there's anything on the disc other than the gas." Beast Boy said, thinking aloud.

"We should play it." Cyborg agreed.

There was a simple message. delivered by the grinning image of the psychotic Joker himself. 'I bid you greetings, my fellow travellers along the path of insanity. I, the Joker, have generously decided to bring a smile to the lips of everyone within your fair Jump City. You may thank me if you wish, though I do it for no reward but the joy it brings to my heart. When the chains of sanity have loosened their hold on you, rejoice in your freedom.'

"What a nutcase." Cyborg muttered.

"He nearly got us." Robin muttered fearfully.

"I don't see how?" Raven intoned sarcastically. "His trap failed pitifully. Beast Boy saw through it, as did I." She turned to look at the shape shifter. "As a joke it flopped even worse than one of yours." Her lips turned up into the tiniest hint of a smile to soften the words.

"Hey." The changeling exclaimed, playing along.

"There's more." Cyborg interrupted. "It's towards the end of the disc though."

The five of them stood and watched as the CD continued playing in the special DVD player cyborg had rigged up.

'Let the festivities begin.' The pale-faced, green-haired villain spoke again. 'Four canisters of sheer bliss have been hidden within the city. When the time approaches there shall be no more sad faces. My dear and precious friend Robin.' The crazed man took a small bow. 'Worry not for I, the Joker, have sworn to end all your frowns.'

"We have to find those canisters." Boy Wonder stated, staring at the image on the screen with an unreadable expression.

"We don't even know when the deadline is." Cyborg added, frowning.

"I'll start right away and search from the air." Beast Boy said. "I might not know what the containers look like, but if I see anything strange I'll let you know."

Robin nodded. If we figure out what they look like we'll call you."

"I'll search too." Raven intoned. "I don't know what they look like either, but at the moment it's all I can do. I'll keep my communicator open."

"As will I." Starfire stated.

"Don't go near any of them." Robin warned, looking mainly at Starfire. "Cyborg and I will work on a way to handle them when you find them. He's sure to have them rigged to explode if tampered with."

Shifting into the form of a falcon, the changeling took to the air. The communicator remained with him, attached to his feathers just below the neck. Finding a thermal he rose to an altitude of a mile, and began to scan the city. His all-seeing eyes peered down, searching for anything out of the ordinary. Any canister that could hold enough gas to seriously affect a place the size of Jump City would be huge. In the unlikely chance it was out in the open he should be able to spot it, assuming it wasn't camouflaged as something else.

_What am I missing? _The green-skinned Titan asked himself. He tiled his wings and let the wind flow beneath them. _That's it, the wind. _He realized. _The gas won't do much harm if it's blown away from the city. It's blowing from the north, so the canisters will be somewhere in the north part of Jump City._ Becoming a parrot, he informed the rest of the team of his conclusion before he continued the search.

* * *

Two hours passed with the bird of prey's powerful eyes focused on the land below.

"People. We have three escaped villains from the prison." Robin's voice came over the communicator. "It seems the Joker is trying to distract us. Either that or he just wants to cause more chaos."

"Orders?" Raven's voice intoned as if they were discussing the grocery list.

"We'll regroup and take down Cinderblock and Plasmus. Adonis we'll leave until after."

"Cinderblock again?" Beast Boy squawked as a parrot.

"He's nearly unstoppable, and it takes all of us to take him down." Boy Wonder replied. "Unfortunately, as a distraction he's an excellent choice."

"Bad news people." Cyborg interrupted, sounding panicked. "Those villains have been sprayed with a coating the same subsance that was on the CD. It's slowly evaporating in the air and if anyone gets too close to them..." There was the sound of a gulp coming over the communicator.

"Anyone harmed by it yet?" Robin immediately asked.

"No. They're creating a pretty bug ruckus as they move, so people are running away. But eventually someone will."

"Adonis is the one most likely to head to a populated area." Beast Boy pointed out.

"Agreed." Robin spoke. "That's makes him our first target.

_As a plan it's pretty diabolical. _The green-skinned Titan thought as he turned and headed for the rest of the group. _We got to stop the villains before they hurt anyone, but they're nearly unstoppable and we can't get in close to do any really heavy damage. This is going to be tough._

* * *

Talking to the ego-driven maniac within the large, red battlesuit proved useless. It seemed he believed the idea he was a walking bio-hazard to be merely a trick the Titans were using to try to stop the unstoppable Adonis. And he was far too smart to fall for such a ridiculous trap. The villain made his plans clear; he was going to rob a bank and then head to Jump City University to impress the girls with his money and artificial biceps.

The bright side of things was the people of the city knew when to run and avoid the various, crazed lunatics that occasionally attacked so the area around them was empty.

"Raven tossed cars from a safe distance." They were caught and lobbed back, though the villain's strength wasn't up to throwing them far enough to hit her.

Starfire threw down a rain of starbolts that had little affect.

Cyborg fired up his sonic cannon, but the distance was too great and the blast too weak by the time it hit.

Robin flung discs, but the distance meant he had to take more time to aim. Hence the rate of fire was slow, nor did they seem to be of much use against their foe's battlesuit.

Beast Boy watched as the villain drew closer and closer to a bank. Rushing ahead. he ordered the place evacuated. Vaguely he noted it was one of the places he'd robbed as Ghostling.

"No one can stop the great Adonis." The walking battle tank shouted as he caught a car and flung it to one side. It seemed he'd grown tired of tossing them back at Raven.

_Wonder if it's because his ego can't take the fact a girl can throw further than him. _Beast Boy mused.

"Ideas anyone?" Robin asked.

"Throw insults at him until he cries and leaves?" Beast Boy suggested.

"Be serious." Raven admonished.

"He's releasing the gas slowly as it evaporates." The changeling thought aloud. "What would happen if it were released all at once?"

"Basically nothing if we kept our distance." Cyborg replied. "He's safe in his suit, and the gas would disperse with the wind. So long as there's no one within five hundred feet it would be okay?"

"So how about we speed things up and dump a tanker of gas on him. That'll burn it away. And that suit is pretty tough. He should be fine."

"That's pretty risky." Robin said with an audible gulp. "It would burn down the whole block, if not more. How low can we go and still have it work Cy?" He asked.

"A forty-gallon drum of gasoline should do the trick." Cyborg replied, sounding thoughtful. "And the heat would destroy most of the toxin. Even at a hundred feet people would be safe."

"Raven. Get a drum of gas." Boy Wonder ordered as he decided to go with the plan.

It took the violet-eyed girl all of five minutes. In less than ten she lobbed it at the red-clad villain who was still shouting self-praise out for all the world to hear. Starfire lit the gas with a starbolt even as the gloating boy caught it. There was a fireball, though not an overly larger one, as the flames engulfed their startled foe. The fire threatened to spread, but given the bank parking lot was rather large the tendrils of flames burned out before any of them could reach anything other than a few cars.

"Status?" Robin immediately demanded.

"He's clean. The toxin was burned away." Cyborg practically growled. "Let's take this guy down quick. We need to deal with the others and then find those canisters."

It was easier said than done. The battlesuit hadn't been even marked by the flames, but the boy inside it seemed to have been scared by the attack, and was acting more aggressive than ever to hide it. In a battle-rage he was grabbing everything he could lay his hands on and flinging it. His ego-drive shouts of self-adoration had stopped.

Beast Boy went on the attack as the beast. His claws, coated in diamond, were more than a match for their titanium-clad foe, but even so it wasn't an easy fight. Adonis was striking out with everything he had, and the shape shifter had to spend as much time dodging as he did trying to tear the suit apart. Twice he was struck by blows that sent him flying for thirty feet.

Raven smashed car after car into their nearly unstoppable opponent while Starfire continued with her onslaught of starbolts. Cyborg's cannon roared time and time again, while explosions could be heard from Robin's explosive discs.

"Has this guy gotten tougher since the last time we fought him?" The green-skinned Titan asked, breathing hard.

"His suit is a foot higher, and I'm reading more than three hundred pounds of extra titanium on him." Cyborg replied. "The armor is considerably thicker."

"Jeez, now that's what I call buffing up." The shape shifter muttered. Returning to the form of the beast he launched himself at his foe once again. With wild fury he circled the battlesuit, always remaining at its back where his diamond-tipped claws left huge gashes in the armor. He called the rage and let it drive him.

"Get away from me you freak." Adonis yelled with a hint of fear as he twisted around to try to grab the fury driven form of his attacker.

The beast growled as his claws ripped into the suit and he felt something different. He was through the titanium. With a feral grim, the changeling placed his right hand inside the gash, and made a split-second transformation to an electric eel before reverting back to his beast form.. A powerful electric charge raced through his foe who collapsed into unconsciousness.

"About time." Cyborg gasped. "Those sonic blasts are draining my power cells like crazy.

"There's two more, and I'm almost out of explosive discs." Boy Wonder added with a frown.

"My poor arms. I think they're falling off." Beast Boy moaned as returned to being human. He'd had to strike at his foe thousands of times to get through the nearly impenetrable armor.

* * *

"Who's next?" Raven intone, bringing the team's focus back on track.

"Their positions?" Boy Wonder asked.

"Cinderblock is making a straight line through a populated area. People are fleeing before him, so no one has gotten within rage of the gas yet." Cyborg informed him. "Plasmus entered the sewers and is just eating ... Well you know what. He isn't moving and there's no one around him."

"Cinderblock then." Their leader decided. "Raven, get another drum of gasoline."

Dousing the confused the slab of concrete with gas, and setting him on fire, once again took care of the toxin.

Beast Boy became an elephant with a synthethic-diamond helmet. _No more nearly cracking my poor head into small pieces doing this. _He thought, grateful beyond words as he charged. The massive, seven-ton elephant reached thirty-five miles per hours before it rammed the stone wall called Cinderblock, causing the gigantic villain to tip over.

Immediately Starfire descended with starbolts, while Cyborg raced in to fire his sonic cannon. Raven grabbed a small truck and started battering away. Robin, nearly out of explosive discs, tossed them cautiously, making each one count as he struck at their foe's head.

The battle continued as it usually did with the indestructible villain. Beast Boy knocked him off his feet, while the rest took the opportunity to dash in and attack. When their foe regained his feet they rushed away. But the Titans were tired. They'd searched the city for two hours, and had spent an hour trying to pummel Adonis into submission from a distance before they thought to burn away the toxin. Then it'd been nearly another hour to tear their way through his buffed up battlesuit. They weren't just tired, they were exhausted and barely able to stand.

Eventually a mistake was made. Beast Boy knocked the villain down again, and the other four Titans rushed in.

Raven watched as a weary looking Starfire allowed her power of flight to waver for a second. The orange-skinned Titan fell into the reach of two enormous fists of concrete, screaming as the rough stone tore at her flesh, and even snapped her left arm. Instantly the half demon dropped down and grabbed the girl who was slowly being mangled. Using the last of her energy, the violet-eyed girl teleported them a short distance away.

"Starfire." Robin cried.

Seeing Cinderblock regain his footing, Beast Boy charged again, knowing he had to keep their foe busy while the others regrouped.

"She'll be okay." Raven intoned with only a slight hint of her fatigue showing. "But I can't heal her right now, and I'm drained, so no more car throwing for a while." She slumped down on the ground, unable to even stand.

"You're out of explosive discs." Cyborg yelled. "Take the two of them and get a safe distance away in the T-car." The titanium-clad teen raised his sonic cannon to fire again. "He's almost taken care of. If B can knock him over a few more times then we can finish taking this overgrown pile of rubble down." He went to fire, and sparks erupted from his arm. "Or not." The cybernetic teen gulped.

Beast Boy knocked their foe down again, but he was beyond exhausted too even if he got to take very short breaks between ramming attempts. _This isn't going to go well. _He mused. _The only thing I can do is ram him so he falls over. I don't have a single weapon that can stop him. At least none that won't leave him seriously injured._ The shape shifter stood back and waited as the giant concrete form before him slowly struggled to rise again. Twice more he charged to knocked the villain over as everyone strove to come up with ideas.

Suddenly there were starbolts coming from a bleeding, grounded Starfire. She could only use her right arm, and the rate of fire was slow, but she'd regained her feet to determinedly continue the battle.

_Too bad she's so into Robin. _The green-skinned Titan mused. _I think I could really fall for someone like her._ Turning, he focused his attention on their foe again. The battered concrete slab was on the brink of collapse, but it would take forever to finish the fight with only the orange-skinned girl delivering damage. _Either I actually kill him, or we retreat. _For a brief while Beast Boy considered the former option, and then dismissed it. Titans didn't kill.

"Hello folks." Spoke a familiar voice from above.

Bumblebee was ready with her stingers. Speedy was readying an arrow. Aqualad was summoning water out a nearby pond. Mas y Menos was staring at the beautiful and determined form of a certain orange-skinned alien.

"Hey." The weary green-skinned Titan called to the two superfast boys. "Start grabbing stuff and throwing it. Make sure you're going fast when you release it."

Everyone flinched back as the air was suddenly filled with dust along with the sound of sonic booms. The two boys, Mas y Menos, were grabbing rocks from the ground, and then accelerating to seven times the speed of sound before they threw them. When they hit each stone had the kinetic energy of half a pound of TNT or more. Beneath the brutal onslaught the villain called Cinderblock collapsed in less than ten seconds.

"Thanks." The shape shifter told the two boys who'd returned to ogling a certain Titan with orange-tinted skin.

"Glad you made it in time." Robin said to the members of Titans East as he knelt beside Starfire. "I figured we would need help."

Raven summoned enough energy to partially heal Starfire. For the next fight they would both remain in the T-car to rest.

"Glad you guys showed up." Beast Boy said, bordering on collapse, as he turned into a small cat and hitched a ride to the third, and last, villain the Joker had released. Plasmus.

Thanks to Mas y Menos who'd made a quick trip back to the tower, Robin was restocked with explosive discs.

* * *

Mas y Menos ran at the disgusting pile of ooze that was Plasmus, and let go of the drum of gasoline they carried. Speedy ignited the makeshift weapon with an arrow.

"He's clean of the neurotoxin." Cyborg informed them a minute later. The cybernetic teen's sonic cannon might be wrecked, but his scanners still worked.

"Okay. Now we ..." Robin started to issue orders.

Suddenly Beast Boy had an insight on what they'd done wrong right from the start. "I suggest we do nothing." He interrupted.

"We can't allow a villain to run loose." Robin countered, looking confused.

"He dangerous. We got to stop him." Cyborg added.

The shape shifter pointed at the ravenous pile of slime, not caring to consider just _what_ he was eating. "He's not going anywhere. We can just leave him here. If we fight we waste time when we could be trying to find those canisters the Joker left somewhere." He shrugged. "We shouldn't have even tried fighting Adonis once he was free of the toxin. What was he going to do? Nothing more than rob a bank and try to impress girls. When Cinderblock was cleaned of the neurotoxin we should've just left him alone. The authorities might not be able to stop him, but they could've made sure everyone was out of his path."

He turned to face the rest of the group. "Now we're exhausted, with Starfire still injured even if Raven did fix her arm." He pointed at Cyborg. "Your sonic cannon needs to be fix. The Joker distracted us, and now it's going to be even harder to find the canisters of bliss or whatever he called them." The shape shifter glanced at villain who was still eating sewage. "Lets get back to our main goal."

Robin gulped. "You're right. Me and the Joker have ... clashed ... a few times before. I lost focus of the main goal and became obsessed with stopping all his tricks. But at the moment the only trick we can afford to focus on is stopping that gas from being released." Boy Wonder turned to look at Plasmus. "Bon appetit." He informed the distracted villain before turning to lead the group out of the sewers.

* * *

"So how big are these canisters?" Bumblebee asked as they gathered around the T-car.

Cyborg paused for a few seconds, and then slapped his forehead. "Stupid." He muttered. "I was thinking how much it would take to kill two million people, but it has to have a delivery system and it sounds like he's just going to release it and let the wind carry it. Jump City is over a hundred square miles, so he'll need a lot. Around five million pounds, or more than a million pounds per canister. They're going to be huge, and won't be something as small as a truck.

"How could he steal something like that and transport it?" Beast Boy asked, awed at the skill it would take pull something like that off.

"The neurotoxin is based on his blood so most of the ingredients are easy to come by." The cybernetic teen explained. "No trouble to get carbon, just buy some coal. Nitrogen can be extracted from the air. Hydrogen from water. And so on. He would only need around fifty thousand pounds of the more rare elements, and that would fit on a single transport truck."

"Oh." The shape shifter replied, feeling a little disappointed there was no big secret to stealing to be discovered.

"Starfire and Raven won't be able to fly for a bit." Robin noted, sounding serious. He looked at Beast Boy.

"I can fly. It'll just be as an Alpine Swift. They can rest while in the air." The tired teen replied.

"Good." Their leader noted. "That means we still got two flyers who can scout from the air. I'll have some of the others use the T-ship modules. That'll help some. And now we know the toxin has to be in one of the industrial sections of the city. That'll also help."

Beast Boy rose through the air as an Alpine Swift. Gaining a nice altitude he basically glided as he found thermals to help him stay aloft. Resting his weary body, the shape shifter peered down at the ground with the exceptional eyesight that came with the form. He ignored residential and commercial sections of the city, flying instead from one point of industrial activity to the next. Even those he only gave a quick glance; if there were any towers or tanks able to hold a million pounds of toxin he would've spotted it immediately. An hour later he found himself circling one out of four huge towers, wondering what it was about them that drew his attention. Suddenly he recalled Raven using the word 'Scurra.' Immediately he became a parrot in order to call the violet-eyed girl.

"What is it Beast Boy?" Her voice sounded drained.

"What does, 'Scurra scriptor canisters. Ridens omni facie deferentes' mean?" He asked.

"Joker's canisters. Bringing a smile to every face." She instantly replied. "Where did you see that?"

* * *

The two teams, Titans West and Titans East, gathered around the industrial site. Having found the stockpile of deadly gas they still had no idea how to deal with five million pounds of it.

"He will have set traps." Robin warmed. "So tread carefully."

Beast Boy cautiously scouted the area. Several time he rose to up to an altitude of several hundred feet as a bird, and then became an amoeba to let the wind blow him past the immense towers. To say there were traps was an understatement. Even during the simple inspections he saw more than fifteen cameras along with several devices that looked like bombs. _Big ones. _The nervous shape shifter silently muttered nervously to himself.

Eventually Cyborg and Robin came up with a plan. Since the neurotoxin was relatively unstable it would break down when combined with other elements. In this case simple seawater would do. All they needed to do was open the drain in each tower and let it flow out. The heavier than air gas would eventually find the ocean where it would be rendered inert. There would be a few dead fish, and the coastline where the pipe ran into the ocean would need to be evacuated for a few days, but it would get rid of the gas without killing anyone. Of course the plan wasn't quite that simple. Someone, meaning Beast Boy, would have to enter the small building that controlled the towers and open the drains.

"Is now a good time to talk about a pay raise and benefits?" The green-skinned shape shifter asked, only half joking. _That place is scary. _He silently gulped. _Enough toxin to kill a whole city, surrounded with enough explosives to do the job once over again._

"Sorry." Robin said. "As a team we all get the same allowance. Including myself."

* * *

To the changeling, a former master thief, getting inside the small building that monitored and controlled the four towers was straightforward. As an amoeba he simply let the wind blow him against the filthy window of the shabby looking structure, where his microscopic form allowed him to crawl through a tiny gap. Emerging undetected inside the control room he scanned the place and, to his dismay, found it to have more than twenty cameras.

Continuing to remain an amoeba, the ex-thief studied the situation. Cyborg had accessed the blueprints for the building and explained how to open the drains, but he'd said nothing about the cameras. _Or the twenty devices that look like bombs. _Gulped Beast Boy. Glad the walls were a dark green stained with dirt, he became a gnat and rose to just below the ceiling. From there it was a simple process to become the small amoeba once again, and glide to the console the cybernetic teen had assured him would solve all their problems.

On it, he fell down between the keys, and noted they were connected to another device. Anyone trying to control anything from the console itself would've triggered a trap. _He didn't tell me about that either. _The changeling mused unhappily.

Not being well versed on technical matters, the changeling found a small, open space inside the console, and became a parrot.

"Touching keys equals big boom." He informed the others, struggling to keep the nervousness out of his voice. He described the small wires he'd seen attached to each key of the keyboard.

"You'll have to trick it." Cyborg informed him, as though it would the easiest thing in the world. "You simply disconnect each wire one at a time, and reattach it to a key you're not going to use. Like maybe the tab key. Just be sure to not have more than one wire loose at a time. It _might not_ see one loose wire as a reason to blow up, but I'm sure three or four would be ... bad."

"One wire might not?" The less than pleased shape shifter asked?

"I didn't set the trap. Sorry B. If it's any consolation, if you set it off then the gas probably gets released as well. That'll kill us all."

"Yeah. I'm just nervous." The green-skinned Titan admitted. "Now, explain how I can disconnect and connect wires without hands, because I'm pretty sure if go human those bombs go boom."

"Sorry. You would be able to pick a shape suitable for that better than I could." The cybernetic teen did sound apologetic.

With a sigh, the changeling studied the situation. Whatever form he used would have to be small enough to be able to crawl among the keys, yet would need some way to pull the wires lose from the glue that held them in place. He used three forms. First a cockroach that was too large to move, but could just manage to crouch beneath the keys. It ate away at the glue and freed the first wire. Then he became an ant that was more than strong enough to pull the ultra-thin wire over to the tab key. There he became a painted spider which were renown for the stickiness of their webs. This form he used to attach the wire to the tab key. The process took two minutes.

Patiently the shape shifter set to work, and in three hours managed to move all the wires that would detect the console was in use to keys that he wouldn't be using. Then he returned to the open spot he'd found, and became a parrot.

"Wires rearranged." He tiredly informed the others.

"What took so long?" Cyborg fumed.

"Trust me Cy, without opposable thumbs it wasn't easy. If you want we can see how well you can work on a computer with your hands tied behind your back when we get back to the tower." There was no ire in his voice as he knew how frustrating it must be for the others to be able to do nothing but wait. If anything, their job was worse than his. He was able to do something while they could only stand idly by, not knowing whether they, along with the whole city, would live or not.

"Sorry." The cybernetic teen replied. "We're all on edge out here. Next disconnect the feed from the towers to the monitors. That way no one will be able to tell the tanks are empty when we open the drains."

Beast Boy did so, though he need to asked Cyborg several time for further instructions before he managed to complete the complicated technical task.

As an insect it took him eleven minutes to type in the command to open the drains. At each key of the command he became a cockroach to pull it down. Then he became an ant to walk to the next one. That there were no capitals in the command was something he was grateful for. He had no clue how he would've accomplished that.

"The gas is coming out." Cyborg informed him, sounding relieved.

"Good." The green parrot squawked. "How long will it take for the tanks to empty?"

"A few hours. It might be heavier than air, but it's still not going to flow out very fast."

For three more hours of the very long day he was having the shape shifter waited. He might be needed to send more commands to the towers, and it was best to stay in place. As a parrot he rested within the console, listening to the others go about various tasks.

Raven, he heard, had recovered some of her strength and had finished healing Starfire. Speedy along with Mas y Menos had taken off to where the gas would exit in the ocean. They were making sure the place was empty. Of the Joker no further word had been heard.

"Empty." Cyborg's voice suddenly informed him.

"Finally." The shape shifter happily replied. "I really want to get out of this place."

"You can leave. We'll let the authorities deal with disarming the bombs." The cybernetic teen replied. "Not a task I envy. Probably best to just set it all off and then pick up the pieces."

"Please don't say anything about bombs going off until I'm out of here." Beast Boy shuddered.

* * *

Beast Boy was glad to be safely back in the T-car where a burned out Raven was resting. She'd drained herself again by continuously scanning the area for the Joker.

"Long day." She intoned, raising her head wearily off the backseat.

"Very." He agreed as he slumped down in the passenger seat. Despite his weariness, seeing her caused him to recall her response when Starfire had mentioned dating just that morning. In a second his mood plummeted for a reason that had nothing to do with his state of pure exhaustion.

Raven, her empathic senses still reaching out to search for the Joker, looked up as she felt the mood of her friend hit rock bottom for no reason that she could figure out. _Weird. _She thought, feeling worried. _He's still depressed. I would say it was the whole Slade incident, but he was like this even before that. _She let her head fall back on the car seat, recalling the green-skinned Titan's mood swings had started the day Starfire had them play spin the bottle. The emotional outburst that'd come at the end of the game, followed by his wrathful vengeance on Robin and Cyborg, came to mind. _It can't be all over a peck on the check. Can it? _She wondered, trying to deny it, but the incident with the hooker came to mind, and she decided it might. _Then why didn't he just accept the one I offered?_

Several balls with the face of the Joker on them flew in through the open front window as a truck squealed to a stop on each side of the T-car, blocking the doors. Hissing, gas began to pour from them.

Raven immediately rose and grabbed Beast Boy. Straining to teleport, she realize she'd hit the bottom of her reserves. Panic started to fill her.

"Hold still, and DO NOT MOVE!"Beast Boy commanded. Grabbing her arm securely, he shifted to the form of a turtle encased in synthetic-diamond armor, sending everything else he was carrying into the pocket dimension he thought of as his own version of Nevermore. The gas covered him, though it had no hope of getting through the shimmering crystal that protected him.

* * *

One second the violet-eyed girl was in the car about to die a slow and painful death, the next she was somewhere else. _Do not move. _She recalled Beast Boy commanding, and so she didn't. Still she looked around, wondering just what'd happened. _He sent me to his version of Nevermore. _She realized, gulping. It was vastly different from her own.

An unmoving Beast Boy was with her, grasping her arm in a grip of steel. Frowning, she started to try to wake him up, to see if he was okay. She stopped. _He's not here. _The half demon gulped. _That's just what he would call his human form. He shifted, and set me here along with it. He's still back there where the gas is. _Panic filled her as she worried about her friend.

_Do not move. _She recalled the command again, and understood the purpose behind it. He could send things to his own pocket dimension, and call them back. But the action required an animal to be carrying the item. If she broke free from his grasp then he wouldn't be able to call her back when he became human again. Unless her own power could break her out of his version of Nevermore she would be trapped here forever. Suddenly she reached out and clasped her whole body round the deadly still form of the shape shifter.

Breathing deeply, glad there was air in this place, the frightened girl looked around. They stood in mid-air around a hundred feet above a vast array of animals. She and Beast Boy had a barrier that was tinted a light green around them, as did each of the animals below. All of the creatures, who she knew were the shapes the shape shifter could assume, were as motionless as the human form of the shape shifter himself whose hand still held her in a grip of steel. Beyond the glowing spheres of energy she could see nothing.

Then she sensed it, and the fear in her heart doubled and tripled. Closing her eyes, she waited to be pulled from her friend's version of Nevermore. Personally she thought she preferred Happy's forest despite its insanely yellow sky and pink fluffy clouds. _Wish I was there now. _The violet-eyed girl silently muttered to herself in a tone that spoke of pure panic.

Then the world around her flickered, and she was out of that place. The relieved girl closed her eyes again, and sighed in relief. It took her a few seconds to realize she was wrapped around the no longer motionless shape shifter who was looking at her with worry.

"Are you okay?" Beast Boy asked, looking into the fear-striken eyes of the girl.

"I am." She managed to intone as she unwrapped her legs from around the waist of the changeling. Then she removed her left arm from around his neck. It was only then that he released her right arm. "So that's your Nevermore." She mused.

"Yeah. Perhaps you can tell me what it's like." He studied her expression carefully, and looked her over again to make sure she was okay.

"Sure." She intoned with a shiver as she recalled the place, and the _something _that she'd sense within it. "How did you get away from the gas?" The violet-eyed girl asked, changing the subject.

"I used my armor to keep me safe, though I couldn't move while in that shape. Robin hooked the T-car with a grappling hook and Cyborg pulled us away from the trucks. He then remotely accessed the doors and opened them, while Robin used the grappling hook to pull me away from the car. Then I returned to being human to find you wrapped securely around me."

She blushed. "I didn't want to get lost in there." She explained.

"I understand."

"Joker's still free." The girl mused, still recalling the feel of his body against hers. Blushing, she pushed the thought out of her mind.

"Yeah." The changeling sighed. "If he pulls tricks like this every day I can see why Batman didn't come. He's just glad to be rid of the lunatic." He shivered. "Gas and bombs. Give me a plain old villain like Cinderblock any day."

"Me too." Raven agreed, stretching. Her neck, along with her whole back, ached from the time she'd spent resting in the car and the time she'd been clinging desperately to Beast Boy for dear life. For some reason the image of the shape shifter massaging the shoulders of Starfire came to mind. '_Think about fish boy's hands on you, and then think about Beast Boy's hands on you.' _She recalled Rage telling her what seemed like ages ago. She'd ignored the order, but now something compelled her consider it. Starfire's words on her and him dating somehow seeped into her mind. She wondered what it would be like to have him massage away the aches. According to what she'd felt from Starfire it should feel nice. _Would it feel nice for me. _The violet-eyed girl wondered, blushing.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Okay, I wanted the Joker's trap to be real. Enough poison to kill the whole city. But a hundred square miles is a lot of land, and that means a lot of toxin. I really had to stress my brain to think of a simple, realistic way to get rid of five million pounds of it. Not sure why it took me so long to come up with a drain, and have it simply break down in seawater.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	10. Chapter 10

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_Alpine Swift: A bird that can stay in the air for over 200 days without landing. The young don't land until their 2nd or 3rd year when they start looking for a nesting site._

_Here we find Starfire while often confused about earth is not as naive as she appears._

_I make a poor attempt in this chapter to fix the fact I didn't have Aqualad rush to the ocean to save the fish. Sorry for that oversight._

_Beast Boy's Nevermore isn't like Raven's, but it's mainly used as a way to explain how he can make things like his clothes and armor disappear and appear. There will be more on what Raven sensed there._

_Slade didn't get into Beast Boy's Nevermore, but remember he wouldn't have just jumped blindly into a whole different dimension. He would've tried to probe it first with magic and technology._

_Time: Night time, the same day._

* * *

_**The Party,... A Late Night Talk,... Morning Practice,... The Next Plot Starts,... Realization,... The Next Plot Revealed,... A Thinking Girl,...**_

The eyes of the violet-haired girl were half closed as she flipped through the pages of an old tome. Curled up in a large chair, lost in thought, she was comfortable and warm. Around her was the sometimes shrill sounds of laughter and talking that not too long ago she would've found intensely annoying. Now though it was pleasant. The people creating the ruckus was her family, and she was welcomed. With a small, barely noticable sigh, she closed the book and let it rest on her lap.

_We should be planning how to handle the Joker's next attack. _She mused, watching as Beast Boy and Cyborg argued over a video game. Across the room Starfire sat in another chair beside Robin who was flipping through some documents Batman had sent him. Contrary to his usual habit of pushing the girl away, Boy Wonder seemed only too happy to have her sitting close to him.

For a second her gaze returned to the shape shifter, causing Rage's words to echo in her mind again. '_Think about fish boy's hands on you, and then think about Beast Boy's hands on you.' _ There was no doubt in her mind that she would prefer the hands of the shape shifter. With a sigh she let her eyes fully close.

The noise in the room grew as Mas y Menos arrived with a huge stack of pizzas held between them.

"Thanks." Robin told the two boys as they all rose to hunt through the boxes for something they liked.

Beast Boy found a piece loaded with vegetables, while both Robin and Cyborg grabbed slices covered in bacon and ham. Raven decided she was feeling too lazy to move and just closed her eyes again. Above the racket she heard the fridge door open and close. _That's Starfire getting the mustard. _She mused with a slight smile, deciding that maybe the others were right. That maybe after the brutal day they'd had some downtime was necessary.

"You have any with sardines and anchovies?" Aqualad asked from the doorway.

"Probably." Robin replied, gesturing at the pile of boxes. "Eat before it's all gone."

"How did it go?" Beast Boy asked.

"I created a whirlpool." The Atlantean replied. It mixed the toxin with the seawater. There's no danger now."

"Sorry." Robin interjected. "If I'd allowed you to do that when Beast Boy released it..." He shrugged with a small apologetic frown.

"Not your fault." Came the reply as the dark-haired boy sorted through the pizza boxes. "Having me pull water from the ocean up through the sewers to the towers in case things went wrong was a good idea. There would still have been a lot of dead people, but it would've saved some of them. I'm just glad it wasn't necessary."

Raven sighed, and looked at the pile of boxes. If she didn't get up soon it would be all gone.

Beast Boy looked at the violet-haired girl and noticed her hungry eyes staring at the boxes. Standing, he grabbed the one with dark olives along with several different types of cheese. It had a regular amount of meat on it. "Here." He handed the box to the girl whose gaze had yet to leave it.

"Thanks." She intoned as she pulled out a slice and started to eat. For some reason she couldn't help but blush and gaze at his hands. _Think about fish boy's hands on you, and then think about Beast Boy's hands on you.' _ The words echoed in her mind again. _What would it be like? _She mused, and felt her face become warm.

"You okay?" The green-skinned Titan asked, noticing her bright-red complexion.

"I am." She intoned impassively.

Bumblebee entered and headed straight for the pizza. With a piece of the meat-lovers special in her hand she grabbed a seat beside Cyborg. Speedy arrived soon after.

Nibbling at her pizza, the violet-eyed girl silently watched the crowd.

"Almost like a party."

Raven looked up to see Speedy standing beside her.

"I guess." She replied, sounding apathetic.

"You don't like parties?"

"Not usually." She replied.

"Next time you're in Steel City I'm sure I can change your mind. There's every kind of place you can imagine."

"Really?" The girl replied, wondering if there were many spooky cafes there. "Want to play a game of chess?" She asked, deciding the game, along with talking about Steel City, might distract her from Beast Boy and his hands. The talking ceased as she became immerse in the game. In less than fifteen minutes it ended with a brutal defeat for the boy from Titans East. She returned to her chair and resumed watching the crowd. The half demon frowned when she saw Beast Boy was gone. Searching with her empathic senses she found no signs of him within the tower. Within her mind she could almost hear Rage screaming, 'Idiot... Idiot... Idiot... Idiot...' at her.

* * *

Beast Boy let his eyes roam over the crowd. Mas y Menos were busy with a video game. Robin and Starfire were talking to each other. That the redheaded girl was happy was obvious. Cyborg seemed to be enjoying his talk with Bumblebee. Occasionally the two would look at each other, and the shape shifter could practically see the sparks fly between them. _And... _He sighed. _Even Raven seems to be having a good time with Speedy._ He watched the two for a minute, and realized the boy was hitting on her. _She seems to like him. _The shape shifter frowned, as he saw them talk while playing chess. Rising, he left the room.

Knowing he should get some rest, yet unable to stay still, the shape shifter became an Alpine Swift and took to the air. Within him his emotions raged, and he desired nothing more than to immerse himself in battle. _It's just a crush, and it'll fade. _The green-skinned Titan told himself, trying to squash the need to rip and tear at a certain orange-haired boy..

Soaring above the landscape, he desperately searched for an enemy. Finding none, he shrieked in fury.

* * *

With a tired sigh Raven knocked on Starfire's door.

"Friend Raven." The redheaded girl exclaimed in happy surprise upon opening the door. "What brings you here?"

"I'm probably going to have nightmares tonight so ..." She looked at the floor. _Pink again. _The violet-haired girl mused, seeing her friend was wearing fluffy pink slippers.

"Sleepover!" The girl shrieked in a perfect imitation of Happy. Reaching out, she grabbed Raven and pulled her inside.

"You don't mind?" She knew it was a silly question. Obviously the orange-skinned girl had just become supercharged on excitement.

"I will build the wall." Was the only response as Starfire began rearranging the pillows on her bed.

Raven moved to help, remaining quiet.

"Are you okay?" The question was delivered in a more serious tone. "The Joker did almost kill you today. Is that what will give you nightmares?"

"That and other things." The violet-eyed girl intoned in reply. "Some of the things Beast Boy can change into are scary." She shuddered.

"Really?" There was curiosity in the girl's voice.

"Trust me. Really." Raven intoned with just the slightest hint of sarcasm. _Of course. _She mused. _Since I didn't look I don't exactly know what it was that was so scary._

"Why did you find it so funny when I suggested you and friend Beast Boy date?" The girl changed topics.

"Me and Beast Boy dating would be a joke Starfire. Surely you weren't serious. You can't just take two people and stick them together so you and Robin can double date."

"You actually laughed. I have never seen you do that before." Starfire replied. "I am sure friend Beast Boy was hurt." She no longer sounded quite so happy.

"I'm sure he thought of it as a joke too." Raven replied, pretty sure she was right.

"He did not. There was pain on face when you laughed." The redhead admonished her friend. "Of all the times to laugh, it was to hurt him."

"I'm sure ..." She didn't know what to say in reply. "Are you sure?"

"Many things about your world confuses me, but Beast Boy is not one of them." The orange-skinned alien replied. "He may laugh when he is sad, but it is still a true laugh that says the sadness will not ruin his day. He is very much like a Tamaranean."

"Oh." Raven tried to recall how Beast Boy had looked when she'd laughed, but the memory was overshadowed by the news of the Joker. Something inside her twisted and made her sick at the thought she might've hurt him.

Starfire sighed. "The wall is built." She needlessly pointed out, looking at the row of fluffy, pink cushions.

"I see." The violet-eyed girl replied, lost in thought with a frown on her face. She settled down beneath the blankets. Despite her weariness she stared at the ceiling. "Was he really hurt?" She asked worriedly.

"He was." Came the reply from the other side of the pink wall. The tone contained no doubt.

"Oh. But why?"

"You are a cute girl, and he is a boy. Why would he not be upset you thought him unworthy."

"Unworthy?" She wondered what that meant.

"Why else would you have laughed. It could only be that he is so beneath you that you find the idea amusing."

"No." Raven lifted her head to glare over the pillows. "Never. He's my friend, a part of my family." She adamantly stated, firmly denying she would think such a thing. Her voice contained a hint of anger that her friend would even suggest it.

"I wanted to play the game of spinning of the bottle to get to kiss Robin." Starfire admitted. "I read about it on the computer, and thought it would get him to notice me. Do you know why Beast Boy played the game?"

"Hrm." Recalling the emotional outburst she'd sensed from him at that time Raven frowned. "No. I only know something about it upset him." She admitted.

"He wanted to play so he could kiss you."

"What." The violet-eyed girl sat up in shock. "Starfire, you're kidding right."

"No. I am serious."

Raven gulped. "That's silly. I know he doesn't want to kiss me." She stated, sure of herself.

"Oh?" Came the curious reply.

"I sensed he was upset and ..." She stopped before she blurted out that Beast Boy had tried to pick up a hooker. "I offered him a peck on the cheek to finish the game."

Starfire sat up. "You did? What was his reaction?" She asked, sounding curious.

"He was angry and refused."

"What did friend Beast Boy say though?" The orange-skinned Titan questioned her friend with intense interest.

"That he didn't want my pity. Still, he refused so if he wanted ..." The violet-eyed girl stopped to gulp at the way Starfire was staring at her.

"You offered him a kiss, or rather a peck on the cheek, out of pity?" The girl asked, wide-eyed with fury in her voice. "He deserves better."

"I thought it might cheer him up?" Raven gulped again, not liking the look on the redhead's face. "Seeing him in pain hurts." She declared. "I had to try something."

Starfire laid back down. "I am very angry at you." She spoke the obvious, though her voice had calmed down. "Earth customs often confuse me, but even I know that was wrong. Since when has friend Beast Boy asked for pity from any of us?"

"He was feeling down and I thought ..." The half-demon didn't know what to say.

"He wanted your affection, not your pity." Starfire explained, sure of herself. "Just as I want Robin's affection."

"That can't be the case." Raven insisted with her mind awash in confusion and disbelief.

"It is." The orange-skinned Titan replied. "Do you recall the tricks he played on Cyborg and Robin that were very unlike him?"

"I do. He drank Cyborg's blood, and got you to feed Robin a ton of dinosaur drool."

"He did that out of anger and jealousy." Starfire explained. "When we practice tomorrow morning I predict Speedy is in for a very hard time."

"What? Why?" A tired and confused Raven asked.

"I have, thanks to friend Beast Boy, found that humans and Tamaraneans are not so different when it comes to love." The orange-skinned alien replied. "Robin puzzled me because he suppressed his emotions while showing interest, which is not something a Tamaranean would do. Beast Boy is much like a Tamaranean. Have you never noticed the way he looks at you? It's different from the way he looks at me and the others."

"But why would he want to fight Speedy. Robin and Cyborg were gloating so I can see why he would be angry with them. But Speedy?

"Watch and see." Starfire replied with absolute certainty in her voice. "We should sleep. Tomorrow we must be ready for if the Joker tries to play another joke."

Feeling bewildered, Raven let her mind reach out to search for the green-skinned Titan. Frowning, she realized he was still nowhere in the tower.

* * *

"Where's Beast Boy?" Robin demanded, looking around.

"He said he would be a minute or so late." Cyborg replied. "He didn't return to the tower last night so I called him. He'll be here."

"Where was he?" Boy Wonder asked sounding curious.

"Not sure. When he replied his voice sounded like it does when he's a parrot, so I guess he was flying."

"Okay then." Robin announced. "Everyone from Titans West pair up with someone from Titans East. It's not often we get to spar with each other so I want to make the most of it."

Raven frowned as Speedy made a straight line for her. Looking around she noted Bumblebee was paired with Cyborg while Robin was preparing to fight Aqualad. Mas y Menos were drooling as they stared at Starfire. _Seems she was wrong. _The girl though with relief. _He might not even show up for practice._ The thought caused her to pause. _That's__ very unlike him. _She realized, and the relief vanished. Then, with a fluttering of its green wings, a falcon descended between her and the orange-haired boy.

"Ready and present, sir." Beast Boy announced to Robin before turning to face Speedy with his face void of expression. "Let's fight."

"Actually I was ..."

The shape shifter reclaimed his armor and bo staff from the beast where he'd stashed it, and returned to his human form. What the boy from Titans East was going to say he never knew as he charged.

Face pale, Raven watched the savage way the shape shifter raced at his startled opponent.

"Let's see how well you do face-to-face." Speedy meet the attack with swift sure movements as he parried with his bow, radiating confidence. "Not that I expect much." The teen taunted. "If I recall correctly even Wildebeest can beat you."

_Never let anger cloud your mind. _The shape shifter recalled Slade saying, and he focused solely on fighting.

"And I can do with some payback after that venom you used on me." The orange-haired boy spat.

Raven watched, frowning as bow met bo staff in a flurry of blows with both almost evenly matched. From the shape shifter came a flicker of dark magic as he used the one spell he knew to enhance his speed and strength. The battle turned in his favor. _Why is he in his human form. _She wondered. _The Beast is stronger and faster._

_I could use the blades of the staff to cut that bow to pieces. _Beast Boy though, seriously tempted. _But the others might see that as going to far._ Brutally he marched forward, using the superior strength and speed the spell of rage gave him. His foe stumbled backwards, clearly struggling, and the changeling felt the joy of battle take him much as it would Ghostling.

The other members of the two teams paused their own sparring to watch the fight.

Speedy managed to jump back, putting some distance between him and the shape shifter. With inhuman speed he readied his bow and fired. There was a look of shock on his face as the punching-glove arrow, fired at point-blank range, missed. He launched another and then another, only to have the boy who stood less than a dozen feet from him dodge each one as if amused.

"Wow." Bumblebee said, staring. "How the heck is he doing that?"

"Wish I knew." Boy Wonder replied. "Last time we sparred I didn't land a single blow."

An arrow was just like any other weapon and, even if only slightly, it displaced the air as it moved. Watching his opponent with half-closed eyes, the shape shifter flickered back and forth between his human form and that of an amoeba. "How many arrows do you have?" He asked mockingly as the twelfth one missed him.

"Let's see you dodge this." The angry teen fumed, readying an arrow that looked different from the others. The heat-seeking missile zoomed down on the shape shifter. As before he evaded it, though it wavered slightly in the air as it lost track of him and sought to find him again.

Bumblebee frowned. "You might want to save some of those for the Joker." She warned her teammate.

"Agreed." Robin added. "This is supposed to be just a mild workout. Don't either of you wear yourselves out." He ordered.

Speedy scowled, clearly not liking the order. Wielding his bow like a staff he charged.

Beast Boy grinned sadistically, and with a flick of his wrist synthetic-diamond blades extended from his bo staff.

"Stop. No weapons that might hurt someone." Robin yelled, clearly angry.

The shape shifter turned to stare coldly at the leader before retracting the blades. Turning, he met his foe head on, lashing out with blows that sent the boy flying. Without hesitation he marched on the orange-haired teen, pitilessly raining forth one merciless attack after the other.

"Something tells me B isn't in a good mood this morning." Cyborg said, watching the savage beating Speedy was taking.

"Agreed." Robin muttered. "Stop. Cease fighting." He yelled.

_Damn. _The shape shifter silently cursed. _It's not over yet._ However, he backed off to let his foe rise.

"Stupid dog." Speedy muttered furiously and the red-faced boy, who hated to lose as much as Robin did, couldn't resist one last attack. His bow lashed out to land a solid blow against the leg of the green-skinned Titan. The weapon, no match for synthetic diamond, smashed to pieces.

The anger broke free within him, and unable to allow his foe the last attack, Beast Boy turned on him with a zealous savagery. The bo staff in his hands hummed as he whirled it, and the weapon wrecked havoc on his stunned opponent.

Gulping, Raven reached out with her dark magic to place a barrier between the two.

"Bladed weapons?" Robin yelled, marching on the shape shifter.

"Attacking when the fight is over?" Bumblebee screamed, storming towards her teammate.

Raven looked towards Starfire.

"Speedy hates to lose." The redhead replied. "And Beast Boy was jealous."

"Oh." The half demon replied, watching as the two boys took a tongue-lashing. Neither of them was seriously hurt, but the sheer intensity of the fight had been frightening.

"Calling a fellow Titan a dog? What are you? An animal?" Bumblebee raged with intense furor at Speedy.

"Attacking someone who's already defeated? What the heck were you thinking?" Robin yelled angrily at Beast Boy with fierce disapproval.

"When we have time, I'll talk to him." Raven decided. "We'll clear this up. But I know Starfire is wrong." Within her mind Rage stirred again. 'Would it be so bad if she's right?' The red-clad emoticlone asked, sounding hopeful.

* * *

An hour later they sat in the commons room trying to decide what to do about the Joker. Basically it came down to nothing other than search until he hatched his next plot. That didn't sit well with either of the Titans who knew the master criminal would be nearly impossible to track down. During the entire meeting Speedy and Beast Boy had sat on opposite sides of the room, staring at each other with open hostility.

"Will he be ready so soon for another plot?" The shape shifter asked. "It was only yesterday he tried something major huge."

"The Joker always has several cards up his sleeves." Robin stated, eyes staring into space. "He might strike today, or he might wait a month. But if he's set his sights on Jump City then he will strike, and we must be prepared."

"How do we prepare?" Raven intoned, repeating the question they'd spent the last hour discussing, or in some cases arguing over.

Boy Wonder stared down at his hands. "Wish I knew. Back when the Titans formed I would've said we practice, but I've learned not to overwork you all." He gave them a small smile. "And in the case of the Joker it would be meaningless anyway. If we find him we got more than enough people to take him down. As for foiling his plots, fighting isn't always the solution there." He turned his eyes towards Beast Boy. "Good work yesterday by the way."

"Thanks." Replied the green-skinned Titan who was still smarting from a severe tongue-lashing.

Minutes later, when checked, the mail contained another CD from the deranged serial killer.

On the screen the green-haired villain frowned. 'My friend Robin, why do resist the smiles I wish to bring to the people of your fair city. Think of the children who are sad. Surely my precious friend you would like to see their frowns turned upside down. What sort of monster are you to refuse the little ones an end to their days of sadness." A determined look appeared of the face of the lunatic. 'No. I will not stand for it. Even if I must oppose you I will end the sorrow that dwells within the heart of this place. I, the Joker, do declare that soon no child shall awake to tears. This I promise them, this I swear, for every tiny face there shall be the most joyous of smiles for them and their friends.'

"Nutcase." Bumblebee frowned with a visible shudder.

"Tiny faces." Robin said as he glowered at the blank screen of the DVD player.

"Children." Beast Boy growled. "He's going to kill children."

"The Joker is as bad a Gordanian." Starfire said, staring in horror.

Their visibly shaken leader took deep breath, and focused himself. "Jump City has two million people, with over four hundred thousand children." He stated. "There're hundred of schools along with thousands of places where large groups of them might gather. Where do we start?"

Silence met the question.

"Damn." Raven finally intoned. "We can't cover thousands of places."

"We don't know how much time we got." Beast Boy said, almost growling. "And there're too many places to check, but ..." He looked around. "He's not going to be happy striking just one place and killing just a few kids. He's going to do something that hits a lot of places, and kills a lot of kids. Which means if we check out a few places odds are we might at least find out what he's up to."

"Cyborg draw up a list fifty schools and plot the shortest route between them." Robin ordered as he turned to look at Mas y Menos. "You two will follow the route and see if you can spot anything."

The two boys nodded, looking pale.

"Anyone who can fly will select five schools and scout them." Their leader ordered. "Those of us who can't will take a module from the T-ship and check a few locations. We'll meet back here in three hours."

* * *

Beast Boy flew through several schools as a gnat, not wanting to draw attention. In empty classrooms, hidden from view, he made a few quick transitions to the form of bear, using its ultra-sensitive nose to check for anything that might smell like poison. Checking the time he quickly scouted one last school in addition to the five he'd been assigned before returning empty-handed to the tower.

Raven levitated and flew to the five schools she'd been ordered to check. Her empathic senses detected nothing out of the ordinary. Some students were happy, some where sad, with most somewhere in-between. Pulling up her hood she walked through the halls and corridors, hating the whole experience as she was stared at. So far as she could tell, she was the most unusual thing present.

"Nothing." She intoned back at the tower where she found Beast Boy alone.

"Me either." He replied, not looking her way.

Silently she studied the green form of the shape shifter, noting he was growing taller. _He's not going to be short and scrawny forever. _The violet-eyed girl mused, feeling nervous, yet certain her friend didn't like her. At least not in that way. Any chance she had to talk about it vanished as the others slowly trickled in.

"Whatever he's planning isn't going to be that easy to spot it seems." Robin fumed, pacing the room. He tossed frequent glances at the time.

"I'll scout from the air again." Beast Boy said, rising to leave.

Watching him from the corner of her eyes, Raven noticed she was the last thing he looked at as he left, and that quick glance triggered something within her; some knowledge she'd always suppressed. _That's always been the case. _She suddenly realized. _I've always been the one he looked out for first, and I've always taken it for granted. He was always there from the start, making sure the group included me in activities. The knocks on my bedroom door when I started to spend too much time alone. Refusing to leave me alone when I was sad or angry. The jokes that were so stupid were always meant for me. Even the pizza yesterday. He saw I was tired, and got it for me without my having to ask. _Startled, she blinked, wondering why she'd never seen it before. His actions could be mistaken for those of an older brother, but not those of the younger, immature one she'd always assumed him to be. The look however said he didn't think of her as a sister. It left her feeling bewildered, yet breathless.

"Raven?"

The voice brought the girl out of her trance. "Yes?" She asked.

"I don't suppose you know any way you can track him using magic?" Robin asked, clearing repeating himself.

"Track Beast Boy using magic? Why?" Watching as everyone stared at her in confusion, she blushed, realizing her mistake. She gulped. "Ah. No. I can't track the Joker using magic. If I could I would've done so by now." She quickly pulled up her hood.

"Oh. Okay." Boy Wonder barely blinked at her blunder before moving on. "We'll have Mas y Menos check a number of schools again in the evening. Maybe it is something we can spot but he hasn't set it up yet."

Raven peered out from under her hood, and saw Starfire smiling at her. 'We're the one Beastie likes. Ya Ya Ya...' Both Happy and Rage sang in union within her mind.

"So?" The orange-skinned alien asked her ten minutes later while heading out to scout the city.

"So?" The violet-haired girl intoned, playing innocent.

"You know now? How do you feel?" The girl peered at her, demanding an answer.

"Strange. Confused. But good." The half demon admitted. "I always knew he had my back, but I didn't know how far it went. Why didn't he say anything?"

"Because while he likes you, you never showed any signs that you liked him back. He did not want to ruin your friendship by making it awkward. However I have noticed something when we fight."

"What's that?"

"Though I was confused about our relationship, friend Robin protects me first and I him. That is just the way it is. And it is the same with you and friend Beast Boy. He protects you first, and you protects him first. You are much like friend Robin and I."

"Oh." She'd never realized that either.

"So, you do like friend Beast Boy?" Starfire smiled at her.

"I'm not sure. I'm ... honored ... by the way he feels." Raven struggled to express how she felt. "But I'm not sure if what I feel for him is the same. I might still be seeing him as a younger brother. As I said. I'm confused."

"It is not the feelings one would have for a brother." The orange-skinned alien smiled as if she had a secret.

"How would you know?"

"Because in ones sleep one does not dream about their brother like you do about friend Beast Boy."

"Wha..." The half-demon gulped, blushing. "I've never had those sort of dreams. Not that I can recall."

"You did last night. You must have forgotten it when you woke up. I have heard humans do not always recall their dreams."

Blushing a bright red, Raven didn't know what to say. The annoying chant Happy and Rage were still singing in her head changed. 'Ya Ya Ya. Raven and Beastie sitting in a tree. K.I.S.S.I.N.G.'

"And you didn't tell me?"

"Would you have believed me?" The orange-skinned Titan replied innocently.

"Heck no." Raven admitted, dropping her facade for a second. "At least not until I saw the way he just looked at me... And the way I felt in return."

* * *

The green falcon soared more than a mile above the city, carefully scrutinizing the landscape below. From his birds-eye view he paid particular attention to the schools. Able to see to the ends of horizon, there were more a hundred within range of his all-seeing eyes.

_Funny. _The changeling mused. _As Ghostling I saw this city as mine to do with as I please. Even destroy. Now I would die to keep it safe._ He tilted his wings, and his perspective changed with more schools caming into view while other vanished from his sight. Even at a range of several miles he could clearly see the windows, and even the names, of the various places he was studying. Should he so choose, he could focus on one and count the people entering and leaving it.

For hours he floated above the landscape, doing nothing but watch with his attention flittering from one school to the next, focusing on none of them for more than a second. Able to see the whole picture, he noticed it change slightly. There was a solitary delivery van approaching the place he was studying. Looking at the next he saw another vehicle clearly marked with '_Jay's Delivery Service'_ approaching it. To rule out a coincidence he continued to shift his view from one school to the next. He saw more and more being approached by vehicles marked with the names of various delivery services. Sensing something out of the ordinary, Beast Boy folded his wings close to his body and plummeted towards the ground.

_It could be nothing more than delivery day for chalk. _The green-skinned Titan told himself, not believing it for a second, as he hurled towards the closest van. Unfurling his wings, he glided above it for a second before landing. Utilizing his various shapes, it took seconds for him to enter the back which was filled with various boxes.

* * *

"What does '_Clara in urbem, mittit ad amicum risus' _mean?" The shape shifter asked, speaking into his communicator.

"It's latin for '_Brighten up your city, send a smile to a friend._'" Raven immediately replied.

"Why?" Robin asked.

"There's a van with boxes of candles with that written on them going to each school right now. They're shaped like children with really strange grins on their faces. Hold on a second." The shape shifter became a bear and sniffed the candles with his sensitive nose. Immediately he backed away, growling in fear with his paw raised to strike.

"The candles contain the same neurotoxin as the CDs." The frightened boy gulped into his communicator a second later. "It's harmless now, but if someone lights one they're dead along with everyone near by."

It took Cyborg less than a minute to call a school and find out the candles were part of an outreach program. The students were being urged to buy them at a dollar each with the money going to help the schools situated in less well-off areas. While Jump City was profitable and provided funds to all institutions of learning, some were better off than others. The money would go to meal programs and would mean the difference between cheap, unhealthy food, and slightly more expensive fruits and vegetables.

Accessing the database at one of the schools, the cybernetic teen downloaded the email address for every worker at every school from the janitors to the principals. For good measure he included those of the students. It took the tower's computers less than a minute to send out the nearly half-a-million messages that read:

'Warning. Neurotoxins have been detected in the candles for your outreach program. This is an attempt by the villain known as the Joker to kill the children of Jump City. DO NOT DISTRIBUTE THEM... DO NOT LIGHT THEM... HAVE SCHOOL SECURITY GUARD ALL CANDLES... Wait for the proper authorities to notify you and follow their instructions.'

Typing with inhuman speed the Titan then sent a similar message to all the police stations in the city. He followed this by repeating the process, but with text-messages sent to every number he could find associate with the schools and the police.

"The tiny faces were the candles." Robin stated with his face twisted up in horror. "The friends were the children who would've bought them and the people around them."

* * *

Relieved that the latest plot by the crazed lunatic was safely handled, Raven retreated to her room, needing to get away from the crowd for a bit. Lighting one of her many scented candles she sat down to meditate and think.

_What to do about Beast Boy and me? _She pondered, actually glad to be thinking about such mundane matters rather than the life-or-death situations the Joker's lunacy came up with. She inhaled deeply as the strawberry scent of the candle fill the room.

_To be more precise how do I get him to give me a massage? Perhaps Starfire can help there since it seems she had no problem getting one from him. Besides, there's no need to rush into things. I'm sure he'll understand that. _The violet-eyed girl smiled, knowing the shape shifter would indeed understand. _Still, I know the situation now and I'm not letting him wait in limbo. I do like him. I just need a way to express it._

Raven opened her violet eyes to peer at the brightly burning candle. Deciding it reminded her of the Joker's latest plot, she reached out and extinguished it. A second later the blue-clad girl collapsed from the neurotoxin she'd been breathing in. Immediately it attacked her nervous system, swiftly bringing her to the brink of death.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Raven's view of Beast Boy changed pretty fast. But then the feelings would've already been there, she just needed to realize it and accept them.

A cliffhanger. Sorry, but it just felt like the right place to end the chapter.

Many thanks to those that read and review.


	11. Chapter 11

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_Phrase: 'Pretium solveretur.' Latin for: 'The price must be paid.' _

_Phrase: 'Pretium.' Latin for: 'The price.'_

_******Before people accuse me of killing off the characters, read to the end of the chapter._

_Btw: the three-hundred pound limit Beast Boy has is per shape, not the total weight he can send to his Nevermore._

_Time: Immediately following previous chapter._

* * *

_**The Joker's Victory,... Beast Boy's Prison Break,... The Joker's Trap,... Raven,... Finding the Joker,... The Joker's trap Part II,... The Price,... The Hammer of God,... A Day of Forgetting,...**_

Beast Boy had returned to the tower feeling thankful that another of the Joker's lunatic plots had been stopped. Immediately sensing something wrong, he'd become a bear to sniff the air; the scent of the deadly toxin had been obvious to the powerful nose of the massive animal. It had taken the frantic shape shifter seconds to get to Raven's room door where it was coming from. Becoming the beast, he had savagely ripped it free only to enter to see her unconscious, dying form.

Cyborg had spent hours trying to restart her heart to no avail. The electric shocks sent into her chest caused a single beat before it cease beating again, and then even that had stopped. The drugs that should've helped revive her did nothing as the body of the girl who was normally slightly cool to the touch slowly became icy cold. In the end the violet-eyed girl remained unmoving, and clearly dead.

For hours the changeling had sat beside the unnaturally still form of the girl he loved. He was never sure what he felt or thought during that time, lost as he was in the madness of a beast whose grief and fury knew no end. When Starfire announce another CD from the Joker had arrived he only knew it had woken him from a place of darkness. In his mind there arose the purpose: using fang and claw, to tear the Joker to pieces.

On the CD the image of the sadistic lunatic radiated mock sadness. 'My precious Robin. Your flock has been wounded, and of one them is forever lost. Your cold heart did this. Unwilling to see the children smile, you sought to see their days of sorrow continue. My wretched Robin, why did you do this? Your own hatred for the poor little ones brought this about. How can you stand it? Weep for the poor Raven who shall no more seek the bright-blue skies. Weep for the poor soul whose death is on your hands.' The smiling form paused in its ravings for a few seconds before continuing. 'Three days of mourning I, the Joker, do declare for the passing of the beautiful young woman who you, my stone-hearted friend, have killed. Three days of mourning for the one who died at your hands.'

"Monster." Bumblebee roared at the DVD player.

With eyes cold as ice Beast Boy saw their leader flinch at the word 'monster.' _He blames himself. _The shape shifter realized. _But there is only one to blame. And that one shall die._

"You gave her a home where she was welcomed." The changeling spoke slowly, needing to control the beast that raged within. "A place where she could come to each night and be with friends. A place where she belonged. She appreciated that more than you'll ever know." He looked down at his green hands. "To those of us that are different those things are worth any price." Not knowing what else to say, he turned and left, only vaguely aware as behind him Starfire raised her hands and blasted the DVD player to bits.

* * *

The feeling of flight was exhilarating. It was one of the many things Beast Boy loved as a shape shifter, so it was no surprise that that was where he found himself; flying in the sky far above the city.

_A city of two million people, a hundred square miles. _The green-skinned Titan coldly examined the problem that'd defeated them before. _Without a lead there's no way to find that monster, but where do we find a lead? Making the toxin requires carbon, but we've looked at the places that use coal. It also uses a lot of water, but that isn't exactly something we can track; you just turn on the tap and out it comes. _The shape shifter tilted his wings and Jump City prison came into view. For some reason his eyes focused on it, and something tickled at the back of his mind. Some little tidbit of information that'd seemed trivial at the time but ... _Billy Numerous! _The memory slammed into him like a ton of brick.

_Before the whole Ghostling incident we tackled him, and found he was prepared to leave town. He had a ton of cash, along with a truck, and he was scared; he was running. _The changeling grinned. _And his hands were stained black with something... Like maybe coal._ _He was afraid of someone, and I'm guessing that someone was the Joker._

The shape shifter turned the thought over in his mind. It fit. The villain had been afraid, which was strange for someone with Billy Numerous' ego, and his hands had had a coal like powder on them. As for it being over a month ago, he would bet producing five million pounds of toxin had required some time. The Joker had been using the small fish to prepare before he came here which would explain how he could've had two major plots running so close together. _It can't hurt to ask? _The shape shifter grinned.

With a target in mind the bird of prey folded its wings, swiftly dropping towards the prison.

* * *

"Ready to leave?" He asked the man sitting on a cot.

Billy Numerous glanced up, looking as if he was trembling in fear. "Are you from him?" He asked with a tiny shudder. "How did you get in here?"

"Be more respectful." Beast Boy snapped. "Is that any way to talk about our employer?" He asked, probing for a name.

"Sorry." The villain groveled. "You're from Dr. J? Right?"

The changeling grinned. Dr. J was one of the Joker's aliases. _Bingo. _He thought as he grinned viciously. "Yeah, I'm from the Joker." He replied, watching the man's reaction. There was a flicker of fear when the name was mentioned, but no confusion. No surprise. _Bingo. _he told himself again. _Now to get him somewhere where I can question him. _"Ready to leave?" He asked again.

"Yeah." The cowered man replied, sounding as if he would prefer to stay in jail.

"Good." Faster than the eye could follow, he shifted to the beast and struck the villain who collapsed.

Beast Boy looked up at the camera. _Pretty bad security here if they haven't reacted yet. _He noted. _No wonder the criminals get free just as fast as they're caught._ The lens of the camera was covered in glowing silver paint; the trademark of Ghostling. Shifting back to his human form the shape shifter left his armor on the Beast. By his estimates Billy Numerous was pretty heavy, and would be hard to carry. As a giant ape he picked the man up, and transformed into a tiny, green gnat. His armor was now on the beast, while the villain was being carried by the massive primate. He fled the prison.

"What? Oh my head. You hit me." The villain spoke, cringing as he came to.

"I did." Beast Boy admitted.

"Who're you?" The man demanded.

"You can call me Ghostling. I was trained by Slade to be an assassin." The green-skinned shape shifter spoke, glad the man couldn't recognize him in his armor.

"Assassin?" There was fear in the voice. "You don't know who you're missing with." The villain tried to act brave, but fear radiated from him.

_Can't say as I blame him. _Beast Boy admitted. _Anyone in their right mind would be afraid of the Joker, and he thinks I'm from him._ "What jobs did the Joker have you do?" He demanded.

The villain blinked as he considered the question. "You're not from him." He said, suddenly looking braver.

"What jobs did he have you do?" Beast Boy repeated the question, tired of the small talk. He'd found his lead, and only wanted information on the Joker. Anything else was irrelevant.

"He would kill me if I talked."

"If you don't talk then I'll rip if out of you."

"Make me." The villain sneered, suddenly becoming twenty Billy Numerous clones.

Beast Boy grinned with savage glee. "Gladly." He became the beast, fully equipped with armor and bo staff. Calling on the spell of rage he moved before the clones in front of him could even think to react. Whirling his weapon with the synthetic-diamond blades extended, he ripped into his foes. Seven took major cuts across the chest while eight more took various other major wounds.

The shocked villain reflexively tried to overwhelm his attacker with numbers as he multiplied and became over a hundred Billy look-a-likes.

The beast didn't care. It howled in battle-rage, and moved too swiftly for his enemies to converge on him. As he did so the staff never stopped humming, and the gaping wounds appeared on his foes as if by magic. A few attacks landed, but that was what his armor was for. It absorbed the blows, spreading it across his entire body. And even if hadn't had the armor, the overwhelmed villain had nothing that could hurt the nine-foot creature that massed over seven-hundred pounds.

A dozen of the clones grabbed a huge beam that'd been lying in the nearly empty warehouse, and tried to ram him. It was a simple matter to hop on it, and then walk its full length, slicing as he did so.

More of them sought to use chains as weapons, but they were too slow, and it was easy to circle behind them, or even just let his armor handle the impacts of the heavy, iron weapons.

Those that found clubs of various sorts just had them slashed in two before the bladed bo staff whirled around again to slice deep into their flesh.

There was moment of silence as the clones ceased to move, and then collapsed into a single Billy Numerous.

"What jobs did he have you do?" Beast Boy asked, standing over the bleeding form of the badly slashed villain. There was nothing fatal, but the man would know he'd been on the wrong side of a fight for the next week.

"Who're you?" The shocked man asked. He went pale as the bo staff slashed down towards his neck.

"What jobs did he have you do?" The tone demanded answers with no delay, and he got them.

"I stole some coal." The villain blabbered. "No one really keeps a close eye on it so it was easy to grab it a few tons at a time. Too bad it isn't like that with banks. Now if they ..." He gulped as the bo staff prodded his neck.

"The jobs?" Beast Boy demanded.

"I ... umm ..." The villain stuttered as he stared up at the assassin who'd treated his army of clones as nothing more than simple playthings. "I stole some refrigeration unit. That's about it." He finally gulped out.

"Where did you take the stuff."

"A warehouse not far from here. 569 Salvage Road."

"Thanks." The changeling replied.

The blades on the bo staff disappeared and the villain sighed in relief. He then collapsed into unconsciousness as he was soundly clubbed.

"I'm no killer." Spoke the figure who was torn between being Beast Boy and Ghostling. He so wanted to kill the man lying in front of him, but he'd been merely a tool. Someone who'd been too scared to resist the power of a true villain "I'm no killer." The shape shifter repeated. Then, deciding it wouldn't be wise to just leave the villan free, he picked him up. Twenty minutes later he was back in his cell.

* * *

"569 Salvage Road." Beast Boy muttered to himself as he studied the place. Within him there was an uncontrollable sense of guilt. If he'd recalled that bit of trivia about Billy Numerous before ... _If only... _He savagely thought to himself as the barbs of anguish cut deep into his mind. _But the Joker is history. _The changeling reminded himself._ Within an hour he'll be dead, and the world will be that much safer. _He stared up at the dark, night sky. _And Raven while have justice._

It was a large warehouse, though brightly lit. There was also little security. The later was surprising, causing the would be assassin to be extra cautious. Yet study the place as he might, Beast Boy saw little in terms of traps or guards. From a well-hidden place he became various forms to study the situation. As a bear he sniffed the air, and found nothing wrong with it. As a bat he listened, and followed the movements of two people. One of them he assumed to be the Joker. The other was a woman. Other than that there was no one.

_It's a trap. _Beast Boy told himself. _But what choice do I have?_ He closed in on the building as a gnat, and studied it closely. For a warehouse it was sealed pretty tight. Eventually he found a small hole, and let a draft pull him in as an amoeba. On the floor, he waited as he examined the huge room he was in.

Ten seconds after he entered he found himself in his human form, unable to move or change shape. _No guards. _The enraged changeling noted again, and realized why. He also now knew why the building was so well sealed. _It's full of gas. Something strange that a bear can't sense, but that's the only explanation. _He wanted to scream and howl in fury. Not at the fact that he'd been caught and might very well die, but that Raven wouldn't have her justice. Focusing, Beast Boy tried to command his limbs to move. To stand and walk. Nothing. He tried to change into a gnat. Again, nothing. Vaguely he was aware of alarms going off.

"My my. What have we here. A little fly that's gotten caught in my web." The Joker mused.

"He's the shape shifter, Mr J." A woman beside him said. "May I dissect him? His brain might be interesting to study."

"Sure. My pet." The Crown Prince of Crime grinned. "So long as he's dead it's all fun and games."

_Harley Quinn_. Beast Boy realized, recognizing the woman beside the mad man.

"Excuse me, but I'll be taking your head now." The woman smiled at him, sounding as if she'd just asked about the weather. A scalpel appeared in her hand and she reached for his neck.

"Now, my pet. Don't be so hasty. Let's have some fun first."

"Sure." The woman's eyes glowed with adoration as she smiled up at the man as one would a lover. "Whatever you say. Dr. J."

Beast Boy didn't flinch as his skin was sliced from his flesh, noticing that whatever was keeping him from moving certainly didn't help with the pain. But this was his last battle, and he knew he would have a victory of sorts, albeit a very minor one, if he didn't show pain. That was what the mad man standing in front of him wanted. _But he won't be getting it. _The green-skinned Titan decided. Having been training by both the Doom Patrol and by Slade, his eyes never showed a single sign of the agony the blade caused each time it carved his flesh.

Blood ran from each cut, and formed a pool around his cooling body. Eventually it stopped as he died.

"Off with his head." The Crown Prince of Crime declared.

"My pleasure." The woman replied, and set to work. Soon she triumphantly held up the severed head of Beast Boy. "If you don't mind Dr J, I'm going to get to work studying it."

"Certainly my pet. Thought I'm sure there will be more flies in my web before the night is over."

"That'll be fun." The woman smiled hopefully.

* * *

The body of the violet-eyed girl sensed the destruction of tens of millions of neurons within her brain, and automatically forced the half-demon to enter a healing trance.

_What's happening? _Raven wondered, trying to force calmness on herself as she watched something attack the frontal lobe of her brain. _Neurotoxin._ Came the immediate answer, though she had no idea how she'd been infected. With dread the girl watched as the deadly poison within her slowly increased with each breath. _It's in the air, and I'm inhaling it. _The half-demon realized, and focused her concentration to slow her breathing, hoping it would prevent more of the deadly gas from entering her lungs.

With dismaying fascination she watched as her blood picked up the harbinger of death and continued to spread it throughout her body. It concentrated in her brain where it continued to destroy her neurons even as she frantically constricted her carotid arteries, seeking to protect the seat of her consciousness. It worked, to a degree. Eventually she would have to allow it to flow again.

_It's only attacking certain parts of my brain. _The unnaturally calm girl noted, and the calm vanished as she recalled Cyborg's words that the neurotoxin caused insanity followed by death. _If I go insane with my power I could ... _Mentally she cringed, worried as much for her friends as for herself. Not satisfied with merely slowing the spread of the toxin, she stopped her heart. Her blood no longer flowed, and the death of the neurons slowly came to an end.

_Better to die than to become a monster and kill my family_. The half-demon impassively decided. Slowly she let her dark magic trickled out, keeping her body alive as she wondered how long it would be before death came to claim her.

_Seawater. _The though suddenly echoed in the mind of the girl who'd resigned herself to dying. _Seawater breaks down the toxin, and blood is like seawater. Which means... _A tiny spark of hope flickered within her as she wondered how long it would take. Obvious it took a while otherwise the poison wouldn't have a chance to reach a person's brain. _And how long can I stay in this state? _The hopeful girl wondered.

The violet-haired girl recalled how Aqualad had returned from the ocean hours after the toxin had been released. _Can I keep this up for hours? _Raven wondered, seeing no option but to try.

Pain ripped through her chest with agonizing intensity, and to her dismay her heart started to beat. Focusing her will she stopped it again, only to have the sudden shock pierce through her once more. _Someone found me. _The violet-eyed girl realized. _And they're trying to revive me._

It seemed to last forever. Spikes of pain that started her heart, forcing her to stop it time and time again. Then chemicals were pumped into her system, forcing her to struggle to keep her body in its near-death state.

Abruptly it ceased, and she returned her attention to pushing her metabolism as low as she could. Standing on the brink of death, she gathered her power and prepared as if for battle.

Hours passed, and the violet-eyed girl determinedly maintained the state between life and death with her attention never wavering for a second. Her power slowly faded as she called on it to stay alive, and eventually she drew on the last of it. Forced to restart her heart least she truly die, her body began to become alive with glacial slowness as her blood painfully started to flow once again. Dreading what she might see, the half-demon watched as the life-giving fluid flowed through her brain, and rejoiced when the cells remained alive and vibrant. She'd outlasted the toxin, and there was no more danger.

It took an hour before she could summon the willpower to try to sit, or even speak. Then, slowly, with an inaudible sigh of relief, she struggled to sit up.

"Friend Raven!" Starfire let out a screech that brought the other Titans running.

Warm hands reach out to touch her and gently help her sit. "We thought you were dead." The redheaded girl cried, weeping tears that ran unheeded down her cheeks.

"Water." She manged to whisper, finding her throat felt like sandpaper. In seconds a glass of ice-cold water was in front of her. Starfire had to help her drink.

"Raven." Cyborg and Robin spoke, staring at her in disbelief.

"Close." She told them, still whispering. "I can't recall much, but I know some of the Joker's neurotoxin got in my room. I stopped my body to let it break down." She looked up at her Cyborg. "I recalled you saying it broke down in seawater, and blood is a lot like that, so I just waited it out." Tired, she sank back down. For some reason the main question on her mind was where was Beast Boy.

Starfire hugged her, nearly breaking her ribs. It was followed by hugs from Robin and Cyborg. Bumblebee also didn't hesitate to welcome her back to life. _But where's Beast Boy she wondered. _Finally she just asked, and the feeling of joy within the room dropped just a little.

"We don't know." Robin told her. "He just left and we haven't heard from him."

* * *

Two hours later they stared in horror at the newly fixed DVD screen. On it the Joker mocked them as they watched the head of Beast Boy being cut off.

The screen vanished as black energy reached out to crush it, just before starbolts shattered the mangled wreckage.

Every member of Titans West continued to stare in shock at the scattered pieces. Starfire wept while Raven pulled her hood up so no one would see her tears. Robin clenched his fists and screamed in rage. Cyborg just stared as if the shock was too much for him.

No one felt like responding when word came from the prison that an unknown someone had broken Billy Numerous out and brutalized him before placing him back in his cell. What did get them moving was the two words the traumatized villain kept repeating. Ghostling and Joker.

An hour after that they had the address. 569 Salvage Road.

There were eight of them, the four remaining Titans of Titans West and the five from Titans East. None of them felt like being gentle with the Joker, and all wanted to see him crushed. They quickly scouted the area and then moved in.

"How did the Joker trap Friend Beast Boy?" Starfire asked, watching the warehouse with eyes full of vengeance.

"That's what I would like to know." Cyborg replied. "He had no trouble getting into the tower and wrecking havoc on us."

"He knew the tower and he knew you." Speedy pointed out. "Obviously the Joker had something he didn't see." The orange-haired Titan paused. "I suggest we be very careful."

"Agree." Robin growled. "But we can't just stand here. Raven check to see how many are inside."

"Two she replied a second later." No one had wanted her to come, but she'd insisted. Beast Boy had been her family. Within her she could hear her emoticlones screaming in anguished fury, wanting the blood of his killer.

"Too few." Bumblebee said, frowning. "He beat up over a hundred Billy Numerous clones. Two people couldn't possibly overwhelm him."

"Which means it was a trap that got him." Speedy pointed out.

"Agreed." Bumblebee replied, clearly not liking the fact.

"Can we now kill the clown?" Starfire asked, eyes blazing.

"We capture him, Star. Just like we do with all the villains." Robin said, clearly not liking his own words.

"Hrmph." The redhead replied.

Raven frowned, wondering if she would be able to keep from killing. Black power flickered around her finger tips as she imagined slowly crushing the Joker. In her mind she watched as the blood started to run from his nose and mouth, and then, when the pressure grew too great, his head exploding in a fountain of red and grey goo. Within her something shivered, drooling at the vision. For the first time in her life she truly wanted to kill, and the violet-eyed girl scowled, deciding she didn't care. She would kill the monster that'd killed Beast Boy, and if there was a price to be paid, then she would gladly pay it.

"No use standing around." Robin admitted, clearly reluctant to send his people into an unknown trap. "There're nine of us." He added. "But be careful and don't do anything stupid. Team. Go!"

They all rushed in as Cyborg blew a hole through the wall. Seeing nothing, they all moved as group towards the location of the two people Raven could sense.

Ten second later, to their horror, they all started to collapse one by one to the floor.

_Gas. _Raven realized too late. _That's what got Beast Boy, and it's the reason there're no guards._

"Welcome little flies to my web." A gloating mad man exclaimed, walking towards them. The woman who'd behead Beast Boy was beside him.

"You were right Dr. J. More guests." The woman called Harley Quinn smiled.

"Of course my pet. When have I ever steered you wrong?" The lunatic replied, clearly please with himself.

"What're you going to do with them?" She asked.

"I'll let you play with them." The Crown Prince of Crime replied cheerfully. "All except for Robin. I want him to watch. Then, being the generous man I am I'll set him free."

"That's pretty big of you Dr. J." Harley Quinn agreed.

Raven struggled, straining with desperate need to use her dark magic to crush the lunatic in front of her, but like one time before it refused her command. _Damn! _She silently intoned with vehement hostility. _This gas mean I can't move my mouth, which means its like a seal on my power. _The half-demon silently raged and cursed again.

* * *

Despite the overwhelming terror that tore at him, the green-skinned shape shifter kept moving. He knew a grim reaper of souls was behind him, and if it caught him then he would most likely die. With every fiber of his being yelling at him to give up and allow the inevitable to happen, the terrified boy continued to race through the place that was his Nevermore. A scythe that burned as bright as a thousand suns drew a line across his back, and the changeling howled in what was pain, yet not pain, as his very soul trembled and nearly surrendered to the glowing weapon of a demigod of death.

With the speed of thought, for this was his domain where he was master, Beast Boy fled past thousands of spheres that shone with a mildly green-tinted light. They were his forms, the shapes he could change into, but they couldn't help him now. They came and went as he raced with all the power his mind could conjure. Then he reached the place, and his hand reached out to touch a form that was unlike any of the others.

Turning, the green-skinned Titan faced the grim reaper of souls. It came to a half and stared back, then slowly retreated a single step. "Pretium solveretur." It stated in a voice few morals had ever heard.

"The price must be paid." Beast Boy agreed, knowing what the fearsome being forged of the darkest of nights was saying. He met the eyes that were darker still without flinching, and the demigod retreated another step. Reaching out, the changeling summoned the form of a snake, still enclosed in a glowing sphere, to his hand. "Pretium." He stated, and the scythe of the reaper of souls lashed forth.

The changeling looked at his now empty hand before returning his gaze to the grim reaper of souls. Pain tore through his body, and he screamed.

* * *

The changeling shook his head, puzzled as he looked around. He could clearly remember having entered the warehouse where ... He suddenly started to shudder uncontrollably, not wanting to recall what'd happened. Feeling weak, he slowly stood before closing his eyes to rest a few minutes. Opening them, he peered resolutely at the place where the Joker dwelled. Whatever had happened, he still had a task to finish; he still had to kill that lunatic.

Feeling a little stronger Beast Boy became a gnat before rising from the garbage bin he'd been in. How he'd got there he had no idea, and figured in the long run it didn't matter.

As the shape shifter approached the warehouse he studied it carefully, testing his knowledge of the place. _I've already scouted it. _The green-skinned Titan thought, now certain of it. _It's pretty much airtight, and has a single hole in one window where I can enter. I've already done this._ Puzzled, he flew around for a few seconds trying to think. _Gas. _It came to him. _The place is filled with gas. The whole place is one huge trap. I must've gotten confused and managed to fly out. _Satisfied with that line of reasoning, he considered his next step.

Landing on the roof, the shape shifter became a bat and listened carefully. He heard two voices, while more faintly there was the sound of nearly a dozen beating hearts. Hearing the name of Robin being mentioned he focused, trying to follow what was being said.

_The rest of the team beat me to it. _Beast Boy realized, wondering how they'd managed that. In the end the changeling decided it didn't really matter. What was important was they were in there, and they were trapped. The Joker was going to have a woman kill them all except for Robin, and he knew that would be worse for their leader than if he died himself. He would get vengeance for Raven, but first he had to save the living.

Wrathfully Beast Boy stared at the warehouse, and decided this time he would abandon the way of the assassin, and just do things with brute force. He would use the most powerful method of attack Slade had taught him, the hammer of god. The form of the changeling started to flicker as he changed from one shape to another dozens of times per second, Each time a piece of the ground he was standing on disappeared. After several seconds he slowed and collapsed to take a short break before rising into the sky as a bird of prey.

As it dove the falcon became a missile directed at the warehouse below. Encase in armor made of diamond it sliced through the air, reaching a speed no normal bird of prey could ever hope to match. At five hundred miles per hours its form began to flicker again, and the chunks of rock the shape shifter had store in his Nevermore rained down. Ninety three-hundred pound projectiles smashed into the warehouse like the hammer of god.

_Too bad I had to be careful not to hurt anyone. _Beast Boy sighed, it would've been the perfect way to kill the Joker. Landing, he became the beast and marched into the warehouse. The gas was no longer a problem given half the walls were missing. The wind would get rid of it.

* * *

Watching as the woman bent over Bumblebee, Raven struggled desperately to call on her dark magic. It was no use. Her powers were sealed, and she was going to watch as her friends were sliced to death one after the other.

Then the ground shook with a sudden, thunderous roar, and there were huge gaps in the walls. An impossible howl echoed through the place, and the beast stepped into the room.

Beast Boy stopped and stared at the blue-clad figure on the floor. "Raven." He said as he became human again, clearly not believing his eyes.

The violet-eyed girl blinked, clearly not comprehending what she saw either. "Beast Boy." She replied.

"You're alive." They both said together, still staring at each other.

Around them the rest of the Titans began to stir.

Raven called on the dark power of her demon heritage and it answered. The wind blowing through the shattered walls had cleared the room off the gas.

"No fair." The Joker exclaimed, almost sounding like he was crying. "What fun is it to kill you if don't stay dead?"

Beast Boy became the beast again as he marched on the psychotic serial killer. Raven stood and her hands flickered with demonic power. Starfire called on her starbolts. Cyborg raised his sonic cannon. Robin pulled out an explosive disc. Bumblebee wielded her stingers. Speedy readied an arrow. Aqualad called water from the air in the form of a wall. Mas y Menos linked hands.

"Um." Harley Quinn said. "Dr. J, I think it's time we got out of here."

The room was enveloped with smoke, and while the wind quickly blew it away, the Titans had already fled through the shattered wall incase it was poisonous. When they looked, both the Joker and Harley Quinn was gone.

* * *

"Sorry." Raven told Beast Boy. "I didn't mean to scare you. Not like I had much of a choice in the matter."

"Just so long as you're okay." The shape shifter replied.

"Was Robin too harsh on you over breaking Billy Numerous out of jail?"

"No. He just said something about us being a team. I think he's just relieved we're all okay." Beast Boy shrugged. "Can't blame him there." He cast another worried frown her way.

"I'm okay." She insisted. "On the other hand we really thought you were dead."

"Sorry. I guess he must've made a fake tape or something. Obviously I'm still okay." He smiled at her.

"I'm glad of that." She impulsively pulled him in for a sisterly hug. "Don't ever scare me like that again." She ordered.

"I'll try not too."

"I'm going to get some sleep. You should too."

"Yeah. Guess we were all up all night." He peered out the window, watching the sun as it appeared over the horizon.

"Night." They said to each other.

* * *

"Come in." Raven intoned as a knock came on her door.

"Starfire." She greeted as the orange-skinned girl stepped into her room.

"Greetings friend Raven." The girl replied, sounding puzzled.

"Everything okay?" The violet-haired girl asked, noticing her friend looked a little confused.

"Do you remember our talk today?" Starfire asked.

Raven frowned. "The one last night, or the night before last, or something like that." She asked. "I know I still got to talk to him. But right now everything's okay. We're too emotional from what happened."

"No. The one during the day after we scouted the schools." The girl peered at her friend.

"Sorry. I don't. It's not much, but the toxin did get some of my neurons. I'm missing maybe six hours worth of memories." Raven shrugged. "It's no big deal, you can tell me what we talked about tomorrow."

"Oh." Starfire frowned.

"I'm perfectly fine." The violet-eyed girl assured her. "I regenerated the missing neurons, but the memories they held just aren't there. It's only a few hours anyway. No big deal." She tried a small smile to reassure her friend. "I will talk to Beast Boy and apologize to him for laughing."

"Oh. Okay." Starfire frowned, looking to be on the brink of tears.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	12. Chapter 12

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replied to reviews:_

_The gas used by the Joker to attack Raven and the gas at the warehouse wouldn't have been the same. The neurotoxin he used in the candle would've destroyed a part of her brain, causing insanity before it killed her. The gas at the warehouse on the other hand was used to temporarily paralyze anyone who broke in. Sorry I didn't make that clear._

_Why the grim reaper of souls would attack Beast Boy one time, but not the next is something I'll be explaining later when we start getting into just where and how he got a 'get out of death free' card. He reformed in one piece. How will be shown later.  
_

_I'm serious tempted such a scene with Beast Boy and Rage together in Nevermore. But if I do, it won't be in this story._

_By Red Harley Quinn means Poison Ivy._

_Time: Immediately following previous chapter._

* * *

_**A Recalling,... Massages,... The Infiltrator,... Blood Stains Unexplained,... The Fist of Doom,... Harley Quinn,... The Battle at Sea,... Massages Again,... The Joker and Harley Quinn,...**_

Starfire turned to leave the room looking depressed.

"Are you okay?" Raven asked, confused. The orange-skinned Titan had just seen two of her friends resurrected from the dead. One would think she would be extra jubilant.

"I am okay, friend Raven. I am joyous that two of my precious friends are okay and my heart soars. However, there is much to be sad about too. Is there no way to regain your memories?" The girl's tone was a mixture of almost begging mixed with sorrow.

"None that's worthwhile." The half demon shrugged, still puzzled. "I very much doubt anything exceptional happened during those missing hours. I mean we were hunting the Joker. It's probably just nightmares I would want to forget anyway."

"Oh no." Starfire exclaimed. "There was much good too."

"Such as?" The violet-eyed girl invited her friend to sit down and tell her about it.

"What would you think about dating Beast Boy?" Starfire asked cautiously with the tiniest hint of hope in her voice.

Raven found herself giggling. "I do remember that." She said. "And I know it's wrong to laugh, but the whole idea is just so outlandish. I _will _talk to him. I promise. Is that what this is about? Did I already apologize?"

"No." The girl sighed. "Not yet."

"Oh. So what's the good that you're so excited about?"

"If I were to tell you, you would not believe me."

"I would. You're my friend and I trust you." The violet-haired girl insisted.

"I know we are friends, and I know you trust me, yet I also know you would not believe me." The voice of the Tamaranean was adamant.

"If you're not going to tell me then there's no way for me to know what you're talking about, other than going inside your head and that is not going to hap..."

"That is right." The girl squealed in excitement. "You can enter my mind and see for yourself."

"No." The half demon stated with unwavering conviction. "I'm not entering anyones mind."

"You said you trust me. This is important." The girl begged.

"I would need to put a part of my soul in you." Raven explained. "Do you know what sort of invasion of privacy that is? I would feel what you feel and see what you see."

"But it would only be for a short time? Right?" Starfire asked.

"Only so long as part of my soul was in you." The half-demon girl admitted unwillingly, seeing the determined expression on her friend's face..

"Then do it." Starfire grasped her friend's arms. "You said you trust me, then believe me when I say it is very important."

Raven took a few seconds to settle her emotions before reluctantly replying. "I can't see the past unless you remember it. You would have to recall it."

"I can do that." The orange-skinned girl jubilantly exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her startled friend.

The violet-haired girl pulled herself free and sat on her bed, levitating. "Start recalling." She ordered. "And Starfire?"

"Yes friend Raven?"

"This had better be good." The half demon intoned as she close her eyes, and sent a part of her soul into the body of her ecstatic friend.

* * *

Emotions, intense and barely under control, rushed over her, causing her hands to tighten into fists as the she gasped, and struggled to stay calm. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." The violet-haired girl intoned as she was immersed in the mind of a Tamaranean. "Hurry up." She gulped, feeling overwhelmed already.

"I am remembering." Starfire replied, eyes closed.

Raven watched as Starfire had observed her and Beast Boy. Through the other girl's eyes she once again saw the green-skinned Titan's brief glance at her before he left, and in the memory of the Tamaranean saw her startled expression as some great realization overcame her. Then they started talking and she watched in abject surprise as they discussed the changeling.

Within her own mind fragments of her memories thought lost started to reform, using the images she was seeing through anothers eyes as a template. Soon she was reliving the experience from two points of view. Her own still incomplete picture, and that of her friend.

The picture suddenly shifted and she saw herself sleeping, twisting and turning as she uttered slight moans of pleasure. _That's one good dream I'm having. _Raven gulped, turning red even as she continued to maintain her link with Starfire. Then she saw her dreaming self smile and utter two works in a very sexual and lustful way. 'Beast Boy.'

* * *

She broke the link, feeling overwhelmed. _Me and Beast Boy? _The girl gasped, stunned. "So that was the time you saw me dreaming?" Was all she could think to say.

"It did appear as if it was a fun dream." Starfire replied, peering hopefully at her friend.

"I bet." The violet-haired girl muttered sarcastically, knowing her face was a bright red.. "Now that I would like to remember." She admitted, not meeting her friend's gaze.

"What about the missing memories?" The Tamaranean asked.

"I have parts of them back. Enough to fill in the whole picture." Raven looked around her room. "But you know, I still don't have a clue what to say to him. How do I say I'm interesting, but lets take it slow?"

"How slow?"

"Hrm. I'm not sure. A peck on the cheek certainly wouldn't be out of pity anymore, it would be ..." She stopped with a gulp.

"Lust?" Starfire asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Well..." The violet-haired girl thought the word fit, but wasn't sure if she wanted to admit it. "How do I get him to massage my shoulders like he did yours?"

"I merely said I was stressed and they were sore." The girl shrugged. "But we all know you do not like to be touched so you might have to be more direct. You could simply ask. Trust me, it will be worth it. He is very good with his hands." The orange-skinned Titan paused. "But do not tell Robin I said that.' She added.

"Just ask?" Raven wondered if it could be that easy.

"Just ask." Starfire repeated with a smile. "So, are you going to ask? It will be worth it."

"Probably." Raven admitted, hiding her bright-red face.

"Now would be a good time." The Tamaranean said eagerly.

"Now?"

"Last time you knew the truth you lost your memories. Would it not be wise to make haste now?"

"Now." Suddenly she was terrified.

"Now." Starfire repeated with a smile.

* * *

Beast Boy looked up at the sound of knock. Who it was he already knew. What he didn't know was why she was here. "Come in." He yelled just loud enough for her to hear.

"Chess?" Raven asked, entering his room.

"Now?" He looked out through the window at the rising sun.

She placed the game to one side. "Starfire and I talked." She started, and paused when she found she still didn't know what to say.

"About?"

"Pretty intense sparring session between you and Speedy." Raven said, probing a little. While it might've seemed the shape shifter liked her she wondered if she might've read things wrong. She didn't want to make things awkward between them. _Caution is in order here. _She decided. Immediately she heard Rage in her mind again. 'Scardy-cat.' The red-clad figure taunted. 'You want him. He wants you. There's a bed. Go to it.' The emoticlone demonically growled lustfully. The image in her mind caused the violet-haired girl to blush a bright red.

"Oh." Beast Boy stared at the blushing girl. _She really does like him. _He gulped, feeling hate for the orange-haired boy from Titans East. "It was nothing. Just a little jealousy on my part. It won't happen again."

"Jealousy?"

"Yeah. If you want to date him I won't get in your way." The green-skinned Titan managed to say. _It's her choice. But ... _He sighed.

'He's jealous.' Happy muttered in her ear, sounding frustrated. 'What more do you need him to say.' Raven rubbed her head, annoyed at the constant interruptions.

"Headache?" Beast Boy asked.

"No. More like several voices that won't shut up." The half demon replied with a sigh of her own.

"Oh."

"Starfire says you give really good massages." Raven said, deciding the heck with it. If she made things awkward then it could be fixed. They were friends and would be forever. In her heart she knew that was true.

"Oh." Now it was his turn to blush. "Glad I could be of help to her."

"Would you mind giving me one?" The violet-eyed managed to force the question out, knowing her face was now beet red.

"I thought you don't like being touched. But of course."

"I'm curious what it's like." She admitted with a shrug, not meeting his gaze.

Minutes later she was smiling, feeling totally relaxed. Starfire had been right, his hands feel really good. 'Mmmmm.' Happy and Rage's voices contentedly echoed in her mind. 'Interesting.' Knowledge sighed with an obvious smile of her own. 'About time.' Affection murmured, obviously appreciating the attention. And somewhere within her the violet-haired girl felt Timid abandon her fear for just a short while as she too enjoyed the moment.

As she rose to leave Raven gathered her courage. "Thanks. Starfire was right, that was amazing." She admitted, and then leaned in to give him a small peck, not on the cheek, but on the lips. She left the stunned boy behind her as she left with a grin on her face, not caring that the lights flickered and exploded as she walked to her room.

* * *

Beast Boy sat in the commons room, appearing to be idly waiting for the meeting to start. In reality his attention never wavered from the doorway. _A massage and a kiss? _The thought filled his mind with questions and hope along with a giddy joy. _Not a peck on the cheek, but an actual kiss. _He wasn't sure what to think of the events of the early morning visit, and wondered if it might've been a dream. His gaze focused on the blue-clad girl who walked through the door. She gave him a small smile as she took a seat next to him, causing his heart to soar.

Raven smiled at the green-skinned Titan, sitting next to him. "Morning." She intoned.

"Morning." Beast Boy replied with a nervous smile of his own.

"Meeting starting now." Robin announced, looking around the room. "We have answers to at least two questions." He looked over at Cyborg.

"First of all there's the question of the gas we breathed in at the Joker's lair." The cybernetic teen replied, standing. "There won't be any permanent affects from it." He explained to the relief of all present. "It was designed to only inhibit movement of the voluntary muscles, but other than that it does nothing. You don't have to worry about going insane and dying painfully like you would from the neurotoxin he's been using."

_Speaking is done with voluntary muscles. _Raven noted with some ire. _That's why it kept me from using magic. Glad the neurotoxin didn't do that. Of course there wouldn't be much point in having something drive you insane if you couldn't move to act on it. You would just lie there until you died without wrecking bloody havoc for the Joker's amusement. _She nearly growled at the thought.

"Then there's the candle that nearly kil..." The tall, titanium-clad Titan paused and gulped as he glanced at Raven. "Then there's the matter of the candle." He said with fury in his voice. "Here's how that lunatic managed that." He turn on a computer display.

"What are we looking at?" Bumblebee asked a few seconds later. The view showed nothing but the outside of the tower.

"There's something crawling up the wall." Beast Boy said, squinting at the screen. "It's the exact same color as the tower, but if you look carefully enough you can see the shadow from its legs as it moves."

"Sharp eyes." Cyborg muttered, staring at the shape shifter. "I can't even see it myself, but I had a program analyze all the security footage. It saw what looks like a mechanical insect climbing the wall. As he said it's the exactly same color, and it moved pretty slow, which is why it wasn't spotted before. On top of that it matched the temperature of the tower so the infrared scanners couldn't see it." He turned back to the screen and hit a few buttons. The color of the spider changed, allowing everyone in the room to see it.

"The candle isn't the only thing it did." The cybernetic Titan continued. "I did a scan and found nine listening devices. One in each of our rooms. However they're sensitive enough that they probably heard everything that was said regardless of where we were."

"Any more items with that neurotoxin?" Raven intoned impassively, though her eyes held a trace of anger and dark energy flickering at her fingertips. The screen with the image of the spider shattered.

"No. At least none that I've found so far." Cyborg told her as he nonchalantly unhooked the now useless monitor and replaced it.

"Sorry." She intoned.

The cybernetic teen grinned at her. "Figured that would happen which is why I had a replacement nearby."

She looked down blushing, glad she had a family who knew her so well. _And who loves me. _She admitted with a small smile.

"The infiltrator won't be getting in again." Cyborg added, speaking to all of them, but looking at Raven as if to reassure her.

"Good." Several of the Titans muttered angrily.

"And that concludes my part." The cybernetic teen sat down.

"We have a few more details to discuss before we get to the main topic of finding the Joker." Robin said, looking at Beast Boy.

"I already apologized for beating up Billy Numerous." The green-skinned Titan gulped nervously as he started to ramble. "I was sort of out of it, but even so I didn't touch him until I knew for sure he worked for the Joker. Other than knocking him out to get him out of prison I didn't do a thing until he attacked me."

"Yeah. You already said that." Robin grinned at him. "I can't say I'm pleased with what you did, but it'll make things harder for the Joker with his lair gone, so I'm willing to let it pass. And you did save us." He admitted.

"Oh." The changeling sat back in relief.

"What I wanted to discuss was the video the Joker sent us of you being beheaded."

"Oh." The boy rubbed his neck, suddenly feeling woozy. "I'm glad Raven and Starfire fried that disk. It's not something I want to see." He glanced to his side as he felt a slight touch on his hand to see Raving giving him a comforting smile. Immediately the disk was forgotten as his heart raced. It was only when Robin spoke again that he could take his eyes off her.

"When the police investigated the lair they found traces of blood." Boy Wonder paused. "Well traces isn't the right word. What they found was a huge puddle of it in what looked like the same place as where you were beheaded on the video. Analysis shows it isn't from a normal human."

"Oh." Beast Boy said again. "It can't be mine." He added, wondering what poor soul the Joker had tortured to death. Suddenly he went pale. "You don't suppose he got someone who looked like me and did a makeup job on them so he could use them to fake the video?"

"No. The blood would've been normal if that'd been the case." The leader replied, still gazing at the shape shifter. "He wouldn't have altered the blood just to fake a video."

"But he did kill someone to fake it?" The shape shifter asked.

"I had them send us a sample." Robin continued. "Would you mind if we compared it to your blood?"

"Why?" Beast Boy replied. "I'm obviously fine so it can't be mine."

Boy Wonder shrugged. "No. However you were the only other person we know of who was in the building other than the Joker and Harley Quinn."

The changeling shrugged and let Cyborg draw a tiny amount of blood. His jaw dropped when the sample given by the police matched his. He ended up going over what he could recall again. That he'd entered the warehouse only to be affected by the gas, and that the next thing he knew he was outside in a bin feeling a little weak, but otherwise okay. The green-skinned Titan shrugged. "I must've managed to change into something not affected by the gas and then escaped."

"I wouldn't have thought anything about it." Robin said, looking as puzzled as everyone else. "But we got another CD from the Joker earlier."

One the screen the image of the lunatic wasn't dancing around in glee. Rather, despite the smile, the Joker looked sad and angry. 'What sort of game are you playing my little Robin?' The insane, green-haired figure demanded. 'A Raven who is still quite sane. How sad that must be for her when the freedom of madness was within her there's the little doggy with its head cut off that's still walking around. How did it manage that little trick?' The pale-faced lunatic held up the severed head of a snake. 'The head of a doggy became the head of a snake and the little doggy still walks. You're not playing fair my cold-hearted little Robin. The pawns of the game when dead are dead; how dare they not die.' The series killer paused for a second with its eyes closed before resuming his speech. 'I'm not happy with you my precious Robin, and if there's one smile no one should ever mess with it's that of the Joker. I would've merely played with all your little friends, but now I think I'll take your head as well.'

They watched as the screen went blank.

"Are you suggesting he's telling the truth and he really did cut off Beast Boy's head?" Raven asked, looking pale with furor burning in her violet eyes. This time the whole computer was coated in dark energy and smashed repeatedly in a wall before it fell in a dozen pieces to the floor.

"That's what the video seems to suggest." Robin replied, looking at the mangled remains. "And the blood test pretty much proves it's his." He shrugged. "I'm at a loss."

Raven grasped the hand of the bewildered shape shifter and held it tightly in her own, needing his touch to remind her he was okay. After a while her she managed to regain some control over her emotions. "There's something else I've been wondering about." She intoned impassively, though anger still burned in her now glowing red eyes. "When Slade summoned a grim reaper of souls it should've ..." She paused and took a deep breath. "I'm pretty sure he did the spell right, yet he died instead of his target. For that to happen goes against the laws of magic. It's like a science experiment; the same process always yields the same results. It shouldn't have happened; in fact it couldn't. Once summoned that creature should've found its target and killed it. Nothing should've happened to Slade other than being aged by a single year."

"Obviously that's not what happened." Robin spoke.

Raven turned to look at Beast Boy. "The snake's head on the screen. Do you know what it was and can you change into it?"

The shape shifter frowned for a second. "I should be able to, but I can't." He looked puzzled.

"So you had the shape, but now it's gone?" The half-demon asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. I've never used it, but I went through a snake exhibit a few years back and pretty much gained all their forms. That one should be there, but it isn't."

"Assuming the Joker isn't lying then I can only think of one thing." The violet-eyed girl intoned. "You made a sacrifice of that snake to a grim reaper of souls, and it took it. But you don't bargain with death. At least not that way. You can give up life to gain something from it, but it doesn't give life back."

Beast Boy blinked. "Hold on a second." He practically yelled. "Are you saying I died. Because if you are I'm pretty sure I would remember something like that."

"Maybe." Raven intoned, studying the green-skinned Titan. Blushing, she realized she was still tightly gripping his hand. Given it a few seconds thought, she continued to hold hands with him, though she lessened her grip somewhat.

"There's no way I died." The changeling adamantly stted, with his attention focused more on the hand that held his than the impossible discussion.

"Whatever happened." Robin spoke. "I'm just glad you two are okay. When I thought that ..." The boy closed his eyes for a second, and appeared to be close to tears. "I'm just glad you're okay." He repeated, looking down with his right fist firmly clenched.

"There's one last detail to mention." Cyborg spoke for their leader who seemed unable to. "When the area was investigated we discovered that he'd rented not just that warehouse but two more next to it. We found where he was making the neurotoxins and the trucks he was using to transport it around. It also lead to the candle factory that he used. We can pretty much say whatever his next plan is he'll have to start from scratch. That should give us some time."

"Can you play that last tape of him again?" Beast Boy asked.

"I can." The cybernetic teen replied.

When the display was set up the shape shifter looked at the hand that held his, and very reluctantly pulled away. "Set it to repeat and play it." He ordered, sitting down with his face inches from the display.

The first two times around he listened to it as a bat, then as a dog, and a third time as a mole rat. With his attention still focused on the display he then watched it as a falcon before using the form of a gnat and then a cockroach.

"Stop it." The changeling said, backing away. As he took his seat again he let his hand reach out to touch the arm of the violet-eyed girl beside him. Sheer bliss that took his breath away filled him when she took it again.

"What was that about?" Bumblebee asked.

"The other videos he must've made in a different place." Beast Boy replied. "That one he didn't, and there's at least one clue that might tell us where he is."

"Oh." Robin's attention focused on the shape shifter. "Cyborg analyzed the others, and I was about to have him do the same with this one, but ..." He waited.

"There's no outside sounds, but there're slight vibrations in the picture like you would get if you were close to the subway. He's probably nor more than few hundred yards from it."

"That's still a lot of area to cover." Bumblebee replied with a frown. "Though it does cut things down a bit."

"I figure four hours to find him." The changeling mused aloud with a disturbing grin fit to cower any sane creature. "I know what he and Harley Quinn smell like now." He explained, seeing the confused expressions on a few of the Titans East faces. "If they're within a few hundred yards of the subway I can trace its tracks and tell if they're close by."

"Good." Robin replied. "You get to work on that. Bumblebee and ..." He paused and sighed. "Starfire will go with you just to be safe." He looked at the orange-skinned girl. "Be careful." He ordered, clearly reluctant to send her on the task.

"I'll go too." Raven intoned.

"No. After yesterday I want you to rest and regain your strength." Their leader explain. "They're only going to track him within a few hundred yards, and then the whole team will go in." He assured her. "There won't be much danger."

The violet-haired girl nodded reluctantly, but seeing the logic behind the arrangements.

* * *

It took a little over two hours. The Joker, along with Harley Quinn, were holed up in an abandoned school slated for demolition in a few months. It was the perfect place for a new lair. Plenty or space for storage in the various classrooms, plus large areas to work in like the gym. The water was still running, and even the electricity had yet to be disconnected.

"How do we know it's not bobby trapped. ?" Raven intoned.

"We don't." Robin admitted. "If he had it picked out as a backup lair right from the start then he would've had plenty of time to rig something up."

Bumblebee stared at the school. "What did you use to smash through the walls of the warehouse?" She asked, looking at Beast Boy.

"Something Slade taught me. It's called the hammer of god." The green-skinned Titan glanced at the school which was just over a hundred yards away. "Could use it here if I had enough time to prepare. A few holes in the walls on a nice breezy day like this and there'll be no worries about gas building up."

"Do it." Robin ordered.

Beast Boy nodded. "Given me ten minutes.:

On the ground the shape shifter switched from one animal to another until he had ninety chunks of rocks, each weighing three-hundred pounds, safely stored in his version of Nevermore. As a falcon he took to the skies and bombarded the school. When they struck each crude missile had the kinetic energy of an average size car moving at a hundred miles per hour, or two pounds of TNT. They blasted through the ceiling, ripping great holes in it, and them impacted with the floor wrecking vast amount of destruction.

"Okay. Team. Go!" Robin commanded, and the ten Titans attacked.

Starfire and Raven took to the air. They would cover anyone on the ground while remaining out of reach of traps. If need be Raven could use her dark magic to pull them all to safety. They also would be able to spot the Joker if he fled, and slow him down until the rest of the team could get to him.

Aqualad sent a wall of water over the place, adding to the devastation in the hopes of wrecking any traps that might've survived.

Cyborg took the lead, blasting with his sonic cannon. If a wall stood in the way then he took care of it.

Speedy and Robin, along with Beast Boy and Bumblebee, followed him.

_The sort of attack that we should've planned the first time. _The changeling admitted. _If I hadn't messed up by going off on my own._ He pushed the thought to one side and focused. He alternated from the form of a bat to that of an armored bear. One could track the enemy by the sounds they made, while the other had a chance to sniff out traps. As a bear he found several traps set with explosives, which Speedy then took care of with an arrow.

Ten against two should've been easy; it wasn't.

The Joker tried to flee, but Raven and Starfire blocked his path from the air. Unfortunately he didn't give them a chance to attack him directly as he manged to escape into the basement. They remained outside to make sure he didn't find another exit and escape. From fifty feet up they could spot anything leaving the school, and it was what they'd been instructed to do. Eight Titans should've been enough to subdue the mad man.

"My dear Robin. Is that any way to greet an old friend." The Crown Prince of Crime asked.

"You're going down, Joker." Boy Wonder declared. "There's no place for you to run now."

"Sadly true. Or so it seems." The lunatic didn't seem scared.

"We're trapped, Dr. J." Harley Quinn said, looking at the forces arrayed against them with a mildly worried expression.

"Now now Harley, the Joker always has a plan." The lunatic pulled out a scalpel and started to slice his own flesh, rubbing the blood that poured forth over his arms and face.

"If we get any of that on us." Bumblebee warned.

"Then we're dead." Speedy finished saying as he raised his bow. He was forced to duck and flee as the Joker flicked blood at him, using his hands to cup some of it and then fling it. It coated the floor and nearly hit Robin and Cyborg as well as the orange-haired Titan.

"Here Harley. Cover your hands in this. Think of it as the Joker's Fists of Doom." The mad man poured some of his own blood into the hands to the woman who grinned.

"Great idea Dr. J." She exclaimed. Then she rushed at Robin who was forced to retreat least the Joker's blood touch him. Pivoting on one foot she twisted and flicked some at Speedy. Tiny red spots appeared on his outfit.

Aqualad started to summon water to wash the blood away when Beast Boy kicked him in the shin.

"Do that and the blood will be in the water. The floor will be wet and if we fall it could kill us." The changeling explained.

"Damn." The Atlantean fumed.

Despite the numbers the battle was one-sided. The two villains walked forward, spraying blood at their foes who were forced to retreat. The slippery blood-covered floor prevented any attempts to close on the deranged killers.

Bumblebee dodged back with dots of red on her sweater with a small yelp. Speedy tried to fire arrows, but Harley Quinn seemed to have focused on him, and he was kept busy trying not to get hit by the toxic blood. Robin and Aqualad were similar disadvantaged.

"This isn't going well." Cyborg stated as he tried to fire his sonic cannon. The Joker suddenly dashed forward, whipping his arm out in a circle. The cybernetic teen was coated in blood, though his titanium armor protected most of him and he'd prepared by covered his human flesh in plastic. However one drop hit his contact lens, causing him to fanatically backpedal as he removed it before the neurotoxin could get into his eye.

Mas y Menos were holding hands, ready to zoom forward at seven times the speed of sound to squash their foes, but they like everyone else didn't dare touch the blood that was starting to fill the air.

With no choice, the Titans retreated.

"Perhaps leaving Starfire and Raven outside was a mistake." Cyborg gulped, still backpedaling.

"If they hadn't been there then those two would've already got away." Robin pointed out as he glowered at the two advancing villains. "Damn." He added vehemently.

"Such language Robin. Batman would be so displeased." The Joker mocked as he filled the air with more of the deadly, bright-red fluid.

"Why didn't you try this when fighting him?" Boy Wonder asked angrily.

"Why bother. In jail, out of jail. It's pretty much a revolving door. However I don't want to leave Jump City until all its people have the most wonderous of smiles."

"You're insane." Bumblebee screamed at him.

"My dear lady, sanity is much overrated. Only those who've abandoned it are truly free." The green-haired mad man flicked blood her way. "Just a drop and you'll never have a care in the world again." He told her, as if offering her the most precious gift in the world.

"That's my Dr. J." Harley Quinn exclaimed. "Always thinking of others."

"You're crazy too." Bumblebee retorted.

"Hey. That's not nice." The insulted girl replied with a pout as she flung a handful of toxic blood at her foe.

A few droplets of deadly neurotoxin struck Beast Boy in the eye, and he knew he had no choice but to try to become the Joker or die very painfully. Allowing his body to analyze the DNA, he felt the new shape take form in Nevermore even as the blood started to make his skin itch. He shape shifted immediately, making sure to keep his armor and bo staff.

"Hey. No fair." Harley exclaimed. She turned and ferociously tackled the shape shifter.

The changeling found himself flying backwards with the woman's fingernails ripping dangerously close to his eyes. If he hadn't been infected with the Joker's blood before he certainly was now. However being in the form of that insane lunatic seemed to be keeping him alive. Twisting, he flung the mentally deranged woman from him, and whirled his bo staff around to point at her.

"Heroes don't kill." She taunted. "And my pudding will burst me free again."

Seriously tempted to strike down one of the ones who'd thought it okay to try to kill Raven, the shape shifter slashed with the diamon-tipped edge of the staff.

"Hey." The woman yelled, looking a bit more concerned.

A trickle of blood seeped into his eyes, and Beast Boy found himself blinking frenetically.

"Seems I might win this." The woman suddenly sounded more confident. She rush her half-blind opponent.

In danger of temporarily losing his sight with a dangerous killer at his throat, the green-skinned Titan whirled the staff and struck. A scream of pain came from the woman whose face now held a startled expression mixed with fright. He swiftly pulled the needle-sharp edge of the bo staff free from her right leg where he'd sliced the tendons, and without hesitation struck brutally at her left leg, causing her to collapse. Still blinking frantically as he tried to clear hs eyes, the shape shifter struck at her arms in the same manner. rendering her unable to fling any more of the deadly, toxic blood. The terrified screams she emitted chilled his blood.

Second later he heard Raven's voice along with a frantic Robin trying to keep her from him.

"I'm okay." He told her, speaking in the direction he'd heard her voice come from. "But until I'm washed and got that psychopath's blood off me then keep away."

"The blood isn't affecting you in the Joker's form?" Raven asked, sounding less than calm.

"No. Which means until I've had a very long hot shower, and I'm sure it's all gone, I can't change back." He managed to see from his left eye again, and saw her worried look. "I'm okay." He smiled at her anxious form.

"At least we got one of them." Robin fumed. "The Joker managed to get away." He explained to the green-skinned Titan who'd been briefly blinded. "He sprayed a huge amount of his blood into the air, creating a smoke screen we couldn't get through. It was several seconds before we could try to follow but he was gone."

"Damn." Beast Boy couldn't help but say.

"My Pudding will make you pay for this." The woman at his feet painfully spat with blood freely running from the four deep gashes in her legs and arms..

* * *

The mess took a while to clean up.

First Raven healed Beast Boy so he could take a shower before reverting to his human form. When it was safe, he found the violet-eyed girl in front of him, looking at him as if there was something she wanted to do. Nervously he pulled her close for a hug and the hungry look in her eyes vanished as her own arms wrapped around him. _Joker or no Joker I'm happy. _The changeling sighed with a smile.

Aqualad thoroughly doused Harley Quinn with enough water to be sure she was clean of the Joker's venom, after which Raven securely wrapped her dark magic around the woman, ensuring she couldn't escape.

Then there was the problem of the school The place was filled with puddles of toxic blood that could drive a person insane and it couldn't just be left that way. Since it was slated for destruction anyway Robin phoned the city school board to get permission to burn it to the ground. Then they coated the hallways where the neurotoxin was with gasoline and lit a match. Given the size of the building it took a while before it was reduced to ashes. Even so a special contractor that knew how to deal with hazardous waste would be needed to clean up the mess.

"Heal Harley." Robin stated with obvious reluctance to Raven.

'No damn way. Crush her til her head pops.' Rage howled in earth shattering fury within the girl's mind. 'She is dangerous.' Knowledge intoned. 'She hurt our Beastie." Happy roared. Raven rubbed her head, wanting to listen to her emoticlones rather than Boy Wonder. For a long while she just stood staring at the woman who was writhing around on the floor, trying to escape the bonds the half-demon had placed on her.

With a sigh, she approached the woman after wrapping her from head to toe in more of her dark magic to make sure she couldn't bite. Reaching out, the violet-haired girl infused a part of her soul with the psychotic woman only to find she was far more severely wounded than the four gashes would indicate. Those she sealed first after reattaching her tendons. The frantic attempts to escape increased as the psychotic monster was now able to use her arms and legs.

_Her brain is ... _The half-demon gulped as she studied it in detail, horrified to see it was practically disintegrating. Slowly she worked, commanding the seat of the woman's consciousness to slowly heal. Parts that dealt with right and wrong were almost totally gone, requiring a long time for even the empathic healer to fix. Rational thinking was severely limited by massive trauma to those areas. _What could've done this? _The girl shuddered, feeling sick to her stomach. _No wonder she's insane. _The Frontal Lobe was healed, and she moved on to the next area. It was a full hour before the violet-eyed girl rose from the ground, still feeling sick to her stomach. By her feet Harley Quinn was no longer struggling to get free, but screaming heart-wrenching shrieks that contained, along with many other things, shame and guilt. It was something Raven doubted the woman had felt for a long time.

"What's wrong with her?" Robin asked, staring wide-eyed at the distraught woman.

"She had massive brain damage." The half demon replied, still feeling nauseous. "I think it was the result of the Joker's venom from way back when she was treating him. He must've found a way to infect her with small doses of it, and it ate away anything that ..." The girl gulped as she suppressed the need to throw up. "She was insane, but now she's not and she can recall what she did." She explained.

"Oh." The whole team, both Titans West and Titans East couldn't help but stare in sympathy. Even Beast Boy, recalling his time as Ghostling, felt compassion for the emotionally shattered woman who laid shrieking at their feet.

'Her guilt ...' Rage spoke in the violet-haired girl's mind. Even the red-clad emoticlone was sickened by what'd been done to the woman, and found her craving for vengeance sated.

"We need to start looking for the Joker again." Robin said, turning his gaze away from the hysterical woman. "He must be weak from blood loss, but that doesn't help us if we can't find him."

Harley Quinn's screaming slowed and then stopped. "He has a boat." She spoke with her head turned painfully to one side, unwillingly to look them in the eye. "A truck wasn't large enough to bring all the supplies he wanted so he had a boat bring it ahead of him. It's the only place he has left to go." Her voice trailed off as she entered her own inner world of absolute misery and despair.

* * *

Try as they might, the woman remained comatose. They ended up taking her back to the tower and securing her in the clinic, where it was decided she would remained strapped down with two people watching her at all times.

Beast Boy sat holding hands with a certain violet-eyed girl. He and Raven had taken the first watch while the others searched for the ship. "Her brain was eaten away?" He finally asked, not taking his eyes from the still form of the comatose woman.

"Anything that dealt with reason was. She wouldn't have had any sense of right or wrong." Raven replied, focusing on how his hand felt in hers. Despite the circumstances she was happy to just sit with him like this.

"Pretty much like when I was Ghostling. Parts of my brain was suppressed, while others were excited. No sense of right or wrong, and a craving to kill."

Raven saw the woman twitch. "Tell me about it." She told him.

Together, as they both watched the woman, the changeling told her every detail he could remember about his time with Slade. How he'd craved to kill, and how only Slade wanting to keep hidden had stopped him. How at each bank robbery he'd hoped he would have a reason to fight so he would find out what it felt like to end someones life; that it'd been more of need than a want. That as Ghostling his dreams had been filled with nothing but bloodshed with the whole city being crushed beneath his heel. How his master had trained him by stimulating the pain centers of his brain and how it'd been like being burned alive. He also spoke of the anger he'd had for the arch-villain, and how it'd keep him from falling fully under his influence. That Slade was his master, but that Ghostling had sworn from the minute he woke up to kill him.

Then he spoke of the first time he'd seen her, and how he'd felt something other than pain and hate and the need to kill. That instead of bloodshed she'd filled his dreams, and he'd known there was something beyond the darkness that was his whole world. How he'd even wondered if she would become one of that psychotic killer's apprentices if only he killed the rest of the Titans.

On the cot the traumatized woman listened, and when the changeling finally went silent she spoke. "_Sacculum Dolis. _That's the name of his boat. It's latin for _Bag of Tricks_."

* * *

With that knowledge it took less than half an hour to find the small ship which was securely anchored less than a mile from Titans Tower. Rather shabby looking and less than a hundred feet in length, it was nothing more than a small cargo hauler built more for utility than looks. Given their experience last time they left Harley alone in the clinic, deciding it was safer to focus the entire team on the Joker.

It was a simple attack. Starfire rained starbolts down on the ship, trying to send it to the bottom of the ocean, while Raven pulled loose huge chunks of the vessel which she allowed to drop in the water. When what appeared to be nothing more than a hose started to throw water at them, the two rose higher to remain out of its reach, knowing it was probably tainted with something that only a sick and twisted mind would think of creating. Eventually they tore their way through to the bottom and, without hesitation, they ripped large holes into it.

The Joker had one last trick left, and a blimp rose from the sinking vessel. It immediately deflated as starbolts ripped through it, igniting what must've been hydrogen gas. The fireball tore through the small airship, sending it back into the sea.

The mad lunatic was found swimming in the water less than two minutes later, quickly heading for shore. His attempt to flee failed as Raven picked him out of the water, and Starfire then rendered him unconscious with starbolts.

"He's captured." Robin said, almost in disbelief as they stared at the ragged form.

"Caused us enough grief." Cyborg fumed.

"Man, that wasn't like Steel City villains." Bumblebee mused with a tired look.

"And I hope it remains that way." Speedy admitted. "Fighting one villain like him was more than enough for me."

"Agreed." Aqualad shuddered. "That water cannon he used is going to kill thousands of fish." He growled.

What Mas y Menos said no one knew since they didn't speak spanish, but the two were obviously just as irate at the Crown Prince of Crime as the rest of them were.

"Do we get to kill him now?" Starfire asked, totally serious.

"No." Robin replied with a frown. "But just sending him back to jail isn't going to work either."

'Kill him.' Rage fumed within Raven's mind. 'It's the rational thing to do.' Knowledge admitted. 'It'll keep Beastie safer.' Happy pointed out. The violet-haired girl gulped as the need for vengeance nearly drove her to obey the emoticlones.

Beast Boy stared silently at the figure at his feet. _He'll kill again and again. Heroes might not kill, but Robin is right. Just sending him back to jail won't work. _What the solution was he didn't know, but the Joker had had his last chance Ghostling decided. _if he ever gets free again I will hunt him down and stop him for good. No more chances. _The merciless voice spoke in the changeling's mind, and he agreed with it. There would be no more chances.

Rather than letting the police handle him, the Titans dragged him back to the tower and rigged up a device that would bash him in the head hard enough to knock him out each time he moved. For good measure Cyborg rigged a second machine that strapped to the serial killer's wrist. If his pulse got too fast, indicating he was coming to, it would shock him back into unconsciousness. Then they shoved him in a cell. Mercy and compassion were the last things on the minds of the wrathful Titans who'd thought they'd seen two of their own die.

"We'll rig up something better later on." Robin said with a frown when the villain suddenly thrashed around as he was shocked. It was followed by a hammer that'd detected the movement. The cold-hearted killer went still again.

"There're better jails than the ones in Gotham City." Cyborg added without pity as he stared down at the green-haired serial killer. "We'll find one that can hold him."

* * *

A knock on his door caused the heart of the shape shifter to race. "Come in." He called out.

"Hi." Raven intoned, stepping into the room.

"Hi." Beast Boy happily returned the greeting, recalling how much they'd held hands during the day. Looking at the violet-haired girl he could see in her eyes something had changed. He was no longer just a friend, or a younger brother, but something more. His racing heart raced faster as he continued to gaze at the woman.

"You know, ripping apart a ship is hard work." The half-demon smiled, ignoring the demonic voice in her mind. 'You, him, bed. Simple.' Rage was repeating over and over.

"Is it now?" The shape shifter asked, already seeing where this was heading.

"Very hard on the neck and back." She intoned, feeling giddy.

Beast Boy lifted his hands and wiggled his fingers. "Massage?" He asked.

"That would be nice." The half demon intoned impassively, still smiling. Soon she was sighing in pleasure.

Arms wrapped around him, she held her lips to his for several seconds before leaving the room with a smile that lit up her eyes. Hardly a true kiss, it was still far more than a peck. Once again the lights suffered the consequences for her feelings of ecstasy.

Beast Boy flopped backwards onto the bottom bunk of his bed, giving his head a severe smack. In the morning he would wonder about the headache, but would only be able to recall the excitement and joy of the late night visit.

* * *

When they awoke the next morning they found Harley Quinn gone.

In his cell the Joker had been strangled, and then stabbed more than six thousand times. Every major organ had several hundred puncture wounds in it. And to make sure that the villain that often seemed to defy death remained dead, the woman he'd corrupted for his own use had cut off his head.

On the wall there was a message. 'Chopping off his head might seem a bit extreme, but if he's like one of you it also might not be enough, so be on the lookout just in case. Raven, thanks for healing me when I know you wanted nothing more than to kill me. Beast Boy, thanks for the story. I'm going back to Red. Neither you nor Batman will ever see me again. _Harley Quinn_.'

* * *

End of Chapter.

For the fight at sea, Aqualad wouldn't have went close in case the Joker used some form of toxin to poison the water.

They now know something is up with Beast Boy and death.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	13. Chapter 13

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_Raven healed her brain, so Harley now has a chance. I might or might not have her make one more appearance in the story, thought she will probably be at least mentioned._

_There will be several more chapters, so it's not quite the end yet._

_I will try to add more from Affection. For some reason I seem to focus more on Rage._

_Maybe not shocked that the Joker was killed, but I hope who killed him came as at least a bit of a surprise._

_It was a school so I would image Beast Boy could've found a place to shower without everyone watching. Though I image Raven would've liked to. (I'm certain Rage would've.)_

_Not much fighting this chapter, though lots of dialogue between Raven and her emoticlones. It's a tad bit different from the rest. In the next one there will be a hint as to who the next main villain will be. _

_Time: Two days later._

* * *

_**Amusement Park,... No Amusement Park,... Dates,... Monsters,...A Date Continued,... The Trip Home,...  
**_

The hand of the violet-eyed girl twitched, wanting to take that of the shape shifter sitting next to her. However, despite the last few days where each night she'd entered his room, begged a massage, played a game of chess, and left with a kiss of sorts, she was hesitant.

'Moron.' Rage roared at her. 'You held his hand at one of these meetings before.'

_That was different. _Raven countered. _We were talking about him having died. I don't know if he would want to now._

'One way to find out.' The red-clad emoticlone countered with a demonic sigh of exasperation.

'It would be nice.' Affection spoke in a voice as filled with lust as Rage's.

_Emotions! _The girl muttered silently to herself, admitting that she really wanted to but was afraid.

'Hold Beastie's hand.' Happy cheerfully spoke up, making it sound as if it was the easiest thing in the world to do.

_Which for her it would be. _Raven knew, wondering just when her emoticlones had become so vocal.

"Okay people." Robin spoke from the front of the room. "Things are going well and there're currently no villains free in Jump City. Which means ..." He looked at Starfire with an amused grin on his face. "We're taking the day off and having a mini-vacation of sort."

"Where where where ..." The orange-skinned girl squealed, gazing happily at the boy she was head over heels in love with.

"The new amusement park. It's having a special opening event and I thought we would have some fun."

"Yes! A vacation at the amusement park." Beast Boy yelled, almost leaping out of his chair to do a small dance.

Feeling his excitement Raven couldn't resist a tiny smile. _I will hold his hand at the park. _She decided. _And we'll do things that couples do. Robin will definitely be going off alone with Starfire, while Cyborg will probably want to spend time with Bumblebee. It'll leave me and Beast Boy alone, and if we go on rides like the rollercoaster I ..._

"Raven." Boy Wonder's voice brought her out of her fantasy.

"Yes." She intoned, suppressing her excitement. Above her there was the tinkling sound of glass as a light broke, causing her to look up with a frown. _I'll have to work on that. _The half-demon girl admitted. _It wouldn't be good if that happened while I was riding the rollercoaster... Maybe stick to the bumper cars. Will still be fun. There're other things we can do. I'll ..._

"Raven." The same voice irritatingly pulled her away from her daydream once again.

"Yes." She intoned, suppressing the giddy excitement running through her. She'd never been to an amusement park before, and in truth had never really wanted to. But now, despite the sun beating down outside she was eager to go. _I'll have to keep my hood up. _She mused. _My skin and the word tanning can only be eternal enemies..._

"Raven!" Robin voice distracted her again.

"Yes." She intoned, focusing on him.

"Are you okay? You seem sort of distracted." He gave her a worried look.

"I'm fine." The happy girl impassively replied.

"Okay, but if there's anything wrong you know you can talk to us, right?" His worried look didn't waver.

"I'm fine." She insisted.

'Can we just leave for the amusement park already?' Rage asked, growling impatiently, and for once Raven was in complete agreement with the red-clad emoticlone.

'Holding Beastie's hand on a ferris wheel.' Happy sighed eagerly, causing the violet-haired girl to frown as she recalled the shattered light above her.

_I wish. _The half-demon mused, thinking about it, and there was the tinkling of broken glass above her once again. _But better not. _She reluctantly admitted to herself.

'Cuddling on a ride.' Affection lustfully spoke, making the words a demand.

_I wish. _Raven replied, knowing she wouldn't have the courage to do that.

'Not one too fast. But hold hands." Timid dared to speak. 'I want to hold hands with Beastie. It feels nice.'

_It does. _The excited violet-eyed girl agreed with the grey-clad emoticlone.

"Raven." Boy Wonder's worried voice pulled her out of her thoughts again.

"Yes." She intoned, realizing her distracted behaviour was starting to worry everyone.

"Are you sure you're okay."

"I'm okay." She intoned with no signs of her overwhelming excitement. _Am I really this excited to go to an amusement park? _The violet-eyed girl wondered, and the answer came immediately.

'Yes! We are!' The eager and bubbly response came as a chorus from all her emoticlones.

_Did Rage just sound ... bubbly? _Raven gasped, not believing it. _And did Sloth just agree to do something without complaining?_

"RAVEN!" Robin's voice once again distracted her from her internal dialogue.

"Yes." She intoned, as if he hadn't just had to call out her name half-a-dozen times.

The boy gave her another perturbed look, obvious worried about her. "While we're gone I got a job for you."

"Job?" She blinked, taking a few seconds to understand just what the word implied. "You mean I'm not going to the amusement park?"

Everyone, with the exception of Beast Boy started at her and blinked.

"You want to go to the park?" Cyborg asked. "Out in the crowd and the sun." He looked out the window. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and for the time of year it was unusually warm.

"Cheerful, laughing people. Bright colors." Boy Wonder also looked out the window, as if unable to understand some great and unfathomable mystery.

"You mean you're going off to the park without us?" Beast Boy asked, frowning.

_Us? _Raven wondered.

'You didn't think Beastie would go and leave us alone, did you?" Happy asked, pouting. 'No park.' She added, almost crying.

'No rides together on the ferris wheel.' Affection sighed, clearly not happy.

'No holding hands with Beastie.' Timid's faint voice whispered, holding nothing but heart-wrenching sadness.

'No park.' Rage practically gasped. 'Rip him to bits!' The red-clad emoticlone suddenly roared demonically with every emoticlone in complete agreement with her. As one, the lights in the room shattered .

Robin blinked as he turned away from the window to look up. "Ummm. I'm guessing you did want to go." He needlessly stated, gulping.

"If we go to the part why would not friend Raven come with us? Is it not more fun together." Starfire asked.

"Sorry Star." Their leader replied. "I was sort of hoping it would be a ... date." He managed to gulp. "You and me, while Cyborg and Bumblebee did their own thing. I didn't expect Raven to want to come."

"A date." The eyes of the orange-skinned girl shone with excitement. "But could we not double date with friend Beast Boy and friend Raven?" She wondered.

"Beast Boy and Raven?" The shocked look on their leader's face collapsed into a small laugh. "We can't double date with them if they're not dating." He explained.

"But ..." The girl looked at Raven, clearly confused.

"What's this job you had for me?" Raven asked, unable to keep the hurt out of her voice. _There's no way they could've expected me to want to go to an amusement park. _She told herself. _That I would must be a shock to them. They probably thought they were being nice by giving me some alone time in the tower._

"Well..." Robin frowned. "I honestly didn't think you would want to go." He shrugged. "If you want to then..."

"What's the job you had for me?" She intoned again, realizing he was about to give up his own ticket. _And that would break Starfire's heart. _The violet-eyed girl realized. _After all this time he's finally taking her on a date. She must be ecstatic._

"Well. There's the question of Beast Boy and that blood. Then there's the fact that even Harley Quinn said he pretty much had his ..." The boy turned pale. "Well you know. And then there's the fact the creature you called the grim reaper of souls turned on Slade and not Beast Boy."

"So?" She asked icily, despite her control.

"Well I want you to investigate it."

Raven blinked. "And how do you suppose I do that?" She asked, as if not believing the question.

"Well..." Robin shrugged helplessly. "I thought you would know how to go about it."

"You're talking about a _demigod _of death." The girl stated, as if speaking to an idiot. "Do you think I'm stupid enough to go poking my nose into that? I like being alive, thank you very much."

Boy Wonder frown. "Is it that risky?" He asked, sounding innocent.

"Risky! It's a _demigod of death_." Raven stated again, still sounding as if she couldn't believe the idiocy of the question. "You know, as in _god_ and _death._ People who mess around with that stuff end up just like that, _dead._"

"Oh."

"That sounds ... bad." Bumblebee gulped.

"It is." The half-demon replied, turning towards the girl who'd been spending time lately at the tower with Cyborg. "You think superman is tough. Well guess what. Send one of those creatures after him and he has no more chance than a newborn baby would."

"Then how did Beast Boy survive?" Robin asked.

"No idea. I just know it's best left alone." The violet-eyed girl adamantly stated. She turned to look at the boy who she was starting to think of as her boyfriend, though she had no idea how such a relationship happened. If it was just a matter of time and they were, or if he had to ask her. "Just be glad he did." She added, voice full of emotion, and her hand no longer trembled as she dared to reach out to take his. When he firmly grasped hers with a smile relief flooded her. Heart racing, she smiled back.

'See.' Happy and Rage told her with more than just a little hint of I told you so in their tone..

Both Robin and Cyborg looked confused as they saw the two holding hands, while Starfire just beamed happily at them. Bumblebee blinked a couple of times, and then smiled too.

"You can have our tickets?" The woman said. "Cy and I can just browse the malls or something."

"Malls? Shopping?" There was a sudden look of terror on Cyborg's face. However he turned towards Raven. "It was supposed to be sort of a date for us as well. We didn't expect you would want to go. But if you want to you can have our tickets. Robin and I are the ones who messed up." His eyes flickered down towards their hands again and then away, obviously thinking it was nothing more than a sign of relief on her part that Beast Boy was okay.

"No." Raven intoned. Those two were a budding couple too, and she didn't want to mess up their date.

Beast Boy's eyes became lasers that bore into those of his so-called two friends. "Wait. You mean you didn't get neither Raven nor I tickets." His tone was the cold emotionless voice of Ghostling.

Robin gulped and glanced nervously at Cyborg, eyes pleading for help. "We ... umm ..." Boy Wonder started to sweat. "See we expected Raven would be investigating you ... umm you know. And all that. We thought you would want to know what happened too. And we could only get four tickets so..."

"Just go." Beast Boy slumped back in his chair.

"If I could've got more tickets I would've. There were only four." The boy sounded apologetic.

* * *

"So." Raven intoned, ten minutes later with her hand still in his.

"Did you really want to go?" Beast Boy asked.

"I guess." She shrugged. "I would've hated the sun and the crowds, but I wanted to ..." She gulped. _I can't just tell him I wanted to hold hands with him and go on rides._

"I wouldn't have minded, if you were there." The shape shifter shrugged. "But amusement parks aren't my thing. I would've only wanted to go if you went too."

"Oh?" She allowed a hint of curiosity into her voice.

"Bad events that're best let unmentioned." The green-skinned Titan stared off into space for a few seconds, frowning.

"Oh." Through his touch she could sense memories that seemed to be a mix of bliss and darkness. The sensation left her wondering just how such emotions could combine. _At least he doesn't seem interested in letting go of my hand. _She mused.

"What do you want to do?" Beast Boy asked, looking at her. "There's no amusement park, but that doesn't mean we can't have a date of our own." The shape shifter paused and gulped at what he'd just said. "That's if you want to." He added, wondering what a few kisses meant in a relationship and if she actually wanted to date."

"Where too?" Raven asked, heart skipping a few beats. _It's sort of like being asked on a date. _She thought, practically glowing. The window developed a few cracks before she manged to reel her misbehaving power in.

"You like spooky cafes, right? Why not show me a few of them." _She's clearly as nervous as I am. _The changeling noted. _Going to a familiar place will help her stay relaxed. I hope._

"You sure."The violet-eyed girl frown, wondering if he was doing something he would hate just for her.

"If they serve food or hot chocolate then I'm set." He smiled at her, sending her soul soaring.

"Some of them do, but it's usually bitter. They're mostly goth haunts so they make the food fit the theme."

"That's okay." He shrugged. "I like trying new foods so long as it doesn't involve slaughtering something I can turn into."

"You do?"

Beast Boy nodded. "Live each day as if it's your last. Enjoy being with those you care about, and never waste time being sad. I might not have managed to be true to that last part lately, but it's still my motto. Part of that comes down to doing things you like to do, and I would really love to spend some time with you in those cafes. Trying something new like a different hot chocolate recipe is just icing on the cake."

"Ever think about trying herbal tea?" Raven asked, blushing. _He loves spending time with me. _She silently screamed to herself, and heard an echo of it back from her emoticlones.

"Actually." The shape shifter blushed. "Each time you try a new herbal tea I try it too. Usually just once, though some of them are pretty good."

"Thief." The violet-eyed girl declared with a smile.

"Guilty as charged." The changeling smiled back. "Where too?" He asked.

* * *

"Is it okay?" Raven asked, glancing at the tray of food the boy across from her was eating in a slow and meticulous manner.

"Delicious." The shape shifter beamed a smile at her, taking a sip from the cup of herbal tea beside his plate.

"You sure." She asked again, knowing he usually ate a lot faster.

"It's something new, so I'm taking my time and enjoying it." He shrugged and grinned. "Besides, I don't want to be a slob on our first date." He frowned again. "Okay. I said the word date when I suggested we do something together. So it is a date. Right?"

"It is." The half-demon quickly replied before he could say more. "It's our first date." She added, heart pounding.

'You know.' Rage said, sounding thoughtful. 'This booth is pretty dark. I image we could do anything in here and not be seen.'

_I don't need to hide in a booth to kiss him. _Raven replied.

'Not what I meant.' The red-clad emoticlone replied with an evil grin in her tone.

Raven gulped at the images that Rage allowed her to see, blushing a bright red. _I am NOT doing that in a booth. _The girl practically screamed.

'It would be fun. And you know it would be.' Rage tempted.

'It would be ... interesting.' Knowledge managed to say, obviously as flustered at Raven herself was.

'I don't know what to say.' Happy put in. 'But let's try it.'

'Gaaa...' Was all Timid managed to get out, obviously overwhelmed by Rage's suggestion.

_Stop it! _Raven commanded the red-clad emoticlone of evil. _There's no way I'm losing my virginity in the booth of a cafe._

'Hrmph.' Came the demonic reply. 'You know you would've loved it. It would've been ... unique.'

"You okay?" Raven heard Beast Boy asking.

"I'm fine." She smiled, knowing her face was still red. Taking a fork she reached over and tried the plate of Dead Man's Guts the boy was eating. It was spaghetti with a ton of sauce that was a flavor you would never find in a supermarket. It was also good. Bitter, but not too bitter. The herbal tea he had was plain old cinnamon, the same as hers.

"Definitely not your usual breakfast fare." The shape shifter mused, rolling another small biteful up on a fork.

"True." The violet-eyed girl replied as she did the same, reaching across the table. Not feeling hungry she'd only had a muffin to go with her tea, but she found herself stealing food from his plate. _Nerves. _She admitted to herself, as she swallowed the messy culinary creation.

Sitting back, she enjoy the darkness of the spooky cafe with her leg just barely touching that of the boy across from her. _Life is good. _The girl admitted, being careful not to let her powers run while as she just relaxed in the moment. Within her she felt her emoticlones do the same. Abruptly the comfortable silence was shattered as the sound of an alarm brought her out of her tranquil state.

_Damn! _She fumed as she checked her communicator. "What is it?" She intoned into the device, keeping her voice calm.

"We got a villain, or rather a creature of some sort, attacking boats and swimmers along the coast here." Aqualad's voice informed her. "For some reason I'm not able to use my telepathy on it. We need Bumblebee back here." There was a short pause. "It's huge." He added. "Very very huge."

"What sort of creature?" Raven intoned.

"A giant octopus." Came the reply. "It's huge." Aqualad added again.

"How huge?" She sighed. "Just give me a number." A hint of impatience leaked into her voice.

"Around three hundred feet." Speedy replied.

"Oh. That is huge." The half-demon admitted. She looked up to see a stunned Beast Boy.

"Even a blue whale only grows up to a hundred feet." He gulped. "The largest one was a hundred and ten feet."

"So it's bigger than a blue whale." The girl frowned.

"So it would seem. The bottom of the ocean is far from fully explored yet, and there have been hints of either squid or octopus growing to almost two hundred feet. But three hundred ..." He gulped again. "It's huge." The shape shifter whispered with a gleam in his eye.

"Beast Boy and I will come." Raven replied, firmly squashing a sigh. _Bye bye first date. _She thought.

"I can go." Bumblebee said. "Though I'm not sure what my stingers will do against that."

"You're on a date remember." Raven told her, neglecting to mention that she was on one too. Her first. "Something that size is ... Well, we'll need to clear traffic from its path and then decide on a course of action. Besides, Beast Boy is our local animal expert, and he's more likely to come up with something."

"Are you sure." Bumblebee asked.

"Yes." The girl sighed in response. "We'll probably just lure it back to sea and leave it alone."

"Okay. But if you need me I can get there pretty quick. And you can always reach me on the communicator." The woman was obviously torn between her date and running to help her team.

* * *

Taking two modules of the T-ship, it took the duo less than an hour to reach Steel City.

"Huge." Raven stated, staring down into the dark eyes of the monster from several hundred feet. Beast Boy had told her to keep at least that distance from it least one of its arms reach up and grab them. Given its size it was hard to say just how far was far enough.

"What have you tried?" She asked over the communicator, still staring in a daze at the colossal creature.

"Sound." Speedy replied. "We hoped to drive it away with high-pitched sounds that were painful to it. Instead it just seemed to get angry."

"Any changes I can make in the tide isn't enough to move it." Aqualad added. "And there're no sea animals I can call that could hope to do anything to it. I would be just feeding it."

"My arrows certainly aren't going to be of much help." Speedy admitted, almost sounding ashamed. "They wouldn't be even toothpicks to that thing. Heck, they wouldn't be much more than splinters." There was the audible sound of gnashing teeth as the Titan fumed.

Suddenly the sound of spanish was heard over the communicator as Mas y Menos put in their two words. Of course what those words were no one knew.

"I must one day kiss Mas or Menos so I can understand what they are saying." Starfire casually said.

There was a long awkward silence and then the gnashing of teeth, this time from Robin, mixed with more sounds of two very excited boy speaking spanish. If one had to guess, they were fighting over which one of them the gorgeous redheaded Titan would kiss.

"Mmmm." The sound came from Starfire's communicator, followed by some not so silent whispering which everyone pretended to ignore.

"We tried to lure it out to sea." Speedy finally said when the whispering stopped. "We tied a tuna on a rope and pulled it along with a helicopter. But that thing is fast. It caught the bait and nearly caused the helicopter to crash.

"Any ideas." Raven asked, looking at Beast Boy.

He nodded. "A few. But first thing first. I got to see if that thing is male or female. If it's male then I'm going to be one very happy shape shifter." Opening the cockpit door of his T-ship module he turned into a bird and hurled towards the monster.

The violet-haired girl gulped as she saw the creature reach up to either smash the boy from the sky, or have him for a very tiny snack. "Damn it. Be careful you idiot." She whispered lovingly, knowing her voice would be heard by everyone on both teams.

'Beastie.' Happy gasped.

'Rash.' Knowledge sighed. 'Still. No one is perfect.'

'Rash.' Affection agreed. 'But still we love him.'

"Hrmph.' Rage growled. 'Of course he's perfect. Would I be in love with him if he wasn't?'

"Very courageous.' Brave spoke admiringly. 'Or very stupid. I'm voting for courageous.'

_Shut up! _Raven fumed as she worriedly watched Beast Boy and the giant octopus. He wove around the arms that reached up to grab him, and then vanished. _Where is he? _She mentally screamed in panic.

'Microscopic form.' Rage and Knowledge spoke as one.

'That thing can't attack him in that form. It can't even see him.' The yellow-clad emoticlone added.

'My Beastie is smart.' A demonic voice said, gloating.

_My nerves. _Raven sighed, rubbing her head. Suddenly her hands flew to the control of the T-ship module, sending it fleeing up into the sky. Below her the one Beast Boy had set on autopilot was smashed into two pieces that fell into the water. _Close. _The violet-eyed girl noted, almost in shock as she continued to peer downward. _How long before he comes back? _She wondered, nearly in a panic.

Suddenly there were two of the great creatures below. The original one immediately went on the attack while the new one backed off, only defending itself. The one-sided battle lasted for maybe ten minutes before the mildly wounded green colored one disappeared.

_That was Beast Boy. _Raven realized. _But where is he now? _More minutes passed while she continued to worry. Then the sound of squawking came over her communicator.

"I'm about a mile further out to sea." Beast Boy told her. "I need a ride."

"It ate your T-ship module." Raven informed him, breathing a sigh of relief.

'Told you.' Rage's gloated.

_Silent. _The half-demon told her. _I'm trying to think._

'Pfff. Just use your module and sit in his lap.' The red-clad emoticlone retorted.

'I like that idea.' Happy and Affection replied instantly.

'Why were we ever afraid of Rage?' Happy asked. 'She comes up with the best ideas.'

'Her ideas are certainly interesting.' Knowledge agreed.

'And daring.' Brave added admiringly.

_Shut up. _Raven yelled at them.

"It's okay." Beast Boy informed her. "I can always rest in one of my animal forms. Just need a break for the next part of the plan?"

'Which is?" The violet-eyed girl asked, worried about what hare-brained scheme the green-skinned Titan might come up with next.

"After Aqualad finds a place where the water is cold I'll lead the creature there. Probably as an orca. They're large enough to get its attention, and they're pretty fast."

"And if it catches you?" Raven intoned, trying not to grind her teeth.

"I'm going to keep at least half a mile from it, and if it gets any closer I'm turn into an amoeba again. The current will take me away from it."

"Oh."She still didn't like the idea. "Aqualad, you able to find a place where the water is cold?" The worried girl asked.

"Yeah. Is that what happened?" The Atlantean wondered aloud.

"It is." Beast Boy replied. "It doesn't want to be here any more than we want it here, but it was swimming in some nice cold water and then hit a warm stream. It got brought to the surface and can't get back down. It's panicking since it knows it'll probably die. That's unless we help it."

In two hours it was over. Aqualad found the cold water, and the shape shifter used the form of an ocra to lure the giant creature to it. Twice he nearly got caught and had to escape by turning into an amoeba. Eventually though, the massive beast sank beneath the waves.

* * *

Beast Boy covered the distance to Steel City as a hawk, while Raven followed in her T-ship module.

"You okay?" Raven asked as she finally saw him change back to his human form.

"Yeah. Just a few scratches."

"Here." She stepped close to him and rested her hands on his face, almost caressing it.

"Thanks." The shape shifter smiled at her as the minor injuries disappeared.

"No problem." The violet-haired girl replied, still staring into his eyes.

"Sorry I worried you." Beast Boy told her, speaking softly as he gazed back into her beautiful, violet eyes He could tell she'd been frantic and he hated having done that to her. "I'll talk any stupid decisions over with you next time." He added in an apologetic tone.

"It's okay. You did what was right and found a simple solution to a very big problem." The girl shrugged. "Part of being a Titan."

"Thanks." Aqualad and Speedy spoke as they walked over to the two.

"It was too big to fight, and we didn't know what to do." Speedy shrugged. "Aqualad refused to allow us to kill it, but it turns out he was right and we didn't need too."

"They're very intelligent creatures." The Atlantean replied. "I would've killed it if there was no other choice, though I would've regretted it." He turned to Beast Boy and Raven. 'Thanks." He simply said.

"We owed you." Raven intoned. "You nearly died twice helping us."

Aqualad shrugged. "Guess it's what makes all Titans a team. Anyway, I need to see to the pod of dolphins that was staying around here. I ordered them to go away, but I'm not sure if they managed to escape."

Raven nodded. "Hope they're okay." She intoned.

"I'm sure they are." Beast Boy told the worried Atlantean. "I saw some signs of them in the water and they were panicked, but there were no blood traces.

Aqualad nodded. "Thanks! That's good to know." Turning, he headed for the nearby shore.

"So." Speedy spoke up. "I offered to show you some good places when you were here, and here you are." He smiled at her.

_Hrm. Spooky cafes. _Raven mused. _Just what I need to relax._

'IDIOT' Rage screamed.

'Stop!' Knowledge ordered.

'What about Beastie?' Happy asked.

_What? _The violet-haired girl asked, puzzled at the actions of the emoticlones..

'He's not offering to just show you around.' Knowledge informed her.

'He's hitting on you.' Rage stated with demonic furor. 'It would be a date.' She roared.

_Oh. _Raven suddenly realized the obvious, and could even tell from Beast Boy's stiff form that he'd taken her pause as an indication she was thinking it over. That she was interesting in the orange-haired Titan.

"Sorry." She replied. "I wouldn't mind the directions to a few spooky cafes, but Beast Boy and I were on a date before we came here and we would like to continue it." To her relief she felt the green-skinned Titan relax.

"Oh." Speedy took a step back. "Sure. I'll get a map and mark the spots of a few locations you might like."

* * *

"Sorry." Raven said a while later as they sat together in another cafe that was eerily dark with creepy music playing in the background.

"About?"

"I sort of outed us. I mean I said we were on a date, so they might think we're boyfriend and girlfriend." She glanced down, swallowing. _Are we? _She wondered.

"Are we?" Beast Boy asked. "I mean we've kissed. And we've been on a date. If we were it ..." He blushed. "It would be awesome." He manged to say, hoping she didn't blow up at him.

"I would like it if we were." The violet-haired girl admitted, feeling breathless and a little dizzy as her heart raced.

"Then we are." The green-skinned Titan spoke it as if in a dream with a silly grin on his face.

"Beastie and Raven sitting in a tree. K.I.S.S.I.N.G.' Happy started screaming, a second later Rage joined in.

'Mmmm.' Affection contentedly sighed, letting the rush of emotions wash over her with obvious joy.

'I like.' Timid whispered, barely heard above the antics of Happy and Rage.

'This will be interesting.' Knowledge said in that tone that more lust than intellectual.

'Let's put Rage's plan for the last cafe into action.' Brave boldly suggested.

'Yes, lets.' Happy and Rage stopped singing to agree wholeheartedly with the emoticlone of courage.

'Oh...' Timid went into shock again.

_Let's not. _Raven screamed at them. _At least not for a while yet. _She added, blushing.

* * *

"There's only one T-ship module." Raven intoned a few hours later.

"That's no problem." Beast Boy grinned at her.

It turned out it wasn't. The changeling took the ship up above the clouds so they could see the curve of the earth and set the autopilot. Feeling warm and unimaginably giddy with excitement as his arms closed around her the happily smiling girl was startled by the first nibble on her ear, causing her to jump. Her violet eyes blinked once and a grin crossed her lips. With a moan of pleasure, she let her head drift back within his reach before he could apologize. _Rage does come up with some good ideas. _The delirious happy and nearly incoherent girl sighed.

For the next four hours, as the T-ship slowly took them back home, the two perfected the art of kissing and cuddling.

* * *

End of Chapter.

I know, I'm mixing some aspects of squid and octopus with the 'monster' near Steel City. But it's a creature from the depths, so don't hate me too much.

Why would it take them an hour to get to Steel City but four hours to return? I think that's obvious.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	14. Chapter 14

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_A hint as to the next main villain? If you really want one, read below the End of Chapter line._

_Four chapters left._

_Time: The next morning._

* * *

_**Morning,... Massages,... A Nightmare,... Cinderblock,... Another Massage,...**_

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Barely having the energy to open her tired, violet eyes, the lethargic girl turned over in bed to peer at the time. _Much too early to get up. _She yawned, wondering who it could be and if she should just teleport them out into the water. At this time of year it was nice and cold. _That would teach them to wake a half demon up too early. _Raven mused_. _After she and Beast Boy had returned from Steel City she'd spent six hours meditating to get her emoticlones under control. It'd been a late night.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Reluctantly she sent her senses outward to see who it was. "Come in." She yelled as she slapped herself awake.

"Glorious morning friend Raven." Starfire bounced into the room. "Are you awake?"

"No. I'm talking in my sleep." Raven retorted sarcastically.

"Oh." The girl was confused.

"What do you want Star?" The half demon intoned, careful not to sound irritated.

"I wish to apologize. You could have taken the tickets and went to the amusement park with Beast Boy, but instead you allowed friend Robin to take me on a date."

"It's okay." Raven replied, deciding to be honest. "I really wanted to go and spend a normal day with him, but it's not that big of a deal. Parks aren't my thing and I would've had to avoid most of the rides anyway. If I got on the ferris wheel and my emotions got out of control ..." She shrugged. "I had a really good time with him anyway. Really good." The violet-eyed girl couldn't help but grin as she recalled the four hours in the T-ship module.

"I did too." Starfire beamed at her friend. "He kissed me at the top of the ferris wheel while holding hands. It was very romantic. Then he won me several stuffed animals. They are so cute."

"Let me guess, you picked out pink ones."

The girl paused. "How did you know?"

"Just call it a hunch." Raven smiled and stretched. "No stuffed animals for me I'm afraid." She looked around her room. _They would certainly be out-of-place in here anyway. _She mused.

"So you are not angry? I would like to talk to you about friend Robin."

She paused. "It's not a big deal." The violet-haired girl repeated with a shrug. "Though I am sort of sad over it. It was a big event for you four while Beast Boy and I were left out. Before there was always some effort made to include me in such stuff but this time..." She shrugged again.

"I am sorry." The orange-skinned Titan sounded like she was about to cry.

"Not your fault Star. And as I said, I had a really good time with Beast Boy. We got to kiss while watching the whole world turn below us. It was pretty romantic too." _Kiss and more. _The girl happily recalled with a small sigh.

"He has already kissed you." The stunned girl blinked. "I had to wait years for Robin to kiss me." She sounded disappointed.

"Well technically I kissed him a few times first to get things rolling. But now I think I can count on him to take the lead at times." _Such as with ear nibbling. _Raven thought with a shiver of pure delight. _Who knew that would feel so good._

"At least he allowed you to kiss him." Starfire replied, almost pouting.

"What did you want to talk about?" The girl yawned again. "Sorry." She explained. "I was up late meditating. My emotions were pretty much running wild by the time we got back."

"When do I get to call friend Robin boyfriend Robin?" The orange-skinned Titan asked with a sigh. "We have kissed and we have dated. How does that work? On Tamaran I would know, but here I am not sure."

"Good question. It's the exact same one I was asking myself yesterday." Raven admitted, recalling the awkward way she and Beast Boy had agreed they were boyfriend and girlfriend just the night before. _Awkward but sweet. _She decided with no complaints.

"How long do you think it will be before you and friend Beast Boy become boyfriend and girlfriend?" Starfire asked.

"We already are. We agreed to it yesterday."

"Oh." The Tamaranean blinked. "So fast." She added in a daze. "Do I wait for him to ask me or can I ask him as well?"

"I'm all for equality so I would say you can ask."

"Good. I shall asked him today." The girl smiled, bouncing off the floor.

"Good luck." Raven smiled at the exuberant girl.

"Thank you friend Raven. I do hope we can double date soon."

"Maybe. Anyway, I need to get some more sleep."

"Pleasant dreams." Starfire cheerfully sang out, closing the door gently.

_Now she tries to be quiet. _Raven mused as she flopped back into bed, already sound asleep.

* * *

"Morning." Cyborg greeted her as she finally dragged herself into the commons room.

"Morning." Raven replied, searching the kitchen.

"Want me to cook you some real food? Ham and bacon, or bacon and eggs,... You name it." He sounded apologetic.

"No thanks." She finally found what she was looking for. "A plate of tofu eggs and bacon stored in the fridge for her to microwave. It wouldn't be as good warmed up, but it was a thoughtful gesture on Beast Boy's part and that made her feel warm and happy.

"You're eating tofu?" Cyborg asked with a cringe.

"It's good." Raven replied, contentedly hitting buttons on the microwave.

"Since when?"

_Since Beast Boy starting cooking it for me. _The blushing girl happily mused with a slight smile. _But I would be too embarrassed to admit that._ Keeping quiet, she watched the platter inside the microwave turn.

"Next time we'll be sure to ask." The cybernetic teen told her with a frown. "We really didn't expect you to want to go, but we should've checked first."

"It's okay. There were only four tickets anyway. Two of us would've been left out, and it's only natural that you and Robin would've wanted to take Bumblebee and Starfire there."

"Robin got those tickets before the whole Joker event started." The titanium-clad Titan replied. "They were a gift, but at the time they were on sale. We could've got more."

"It's okay. Actually, if you'd asked me back then I would said no anyway." _I didn't have a boyfriend then. _The cheerful girl almost giggled. Taking the plate from the microwave she grabbed a knife and fork.

"Sorry for saddling you with Beast Boy all day. It must've been tough on you."

"Why do you say that?" Raven pondered aloud, pouring a cup of hot water for her herbal tea.

"From the damage to the T-ship module. Not only did he total his own module, but the one you were in had cracks all over the place. It's a wonder you made it back."

"Oh." _Guess my emotions wrecked more damage than I though. Then again, it's lucky I didn't trash the whole thing. It was ... awesome. _Her facade cracked as she looked down, grinning happily. _Wonder when they'll figure it out. _The smiling girl wondered. _They've seen us holding hands, and there's only one way we could've got back with one module. Think I'll wait and see just how oblivious they can be._ Raven nearly giggled as she placed her plate on the table.

"You really going to eat that stuff?" The cybernetic teen asked.

Sitting down the girl cut into a strip of bacon and savored it. "It's good." She informed the boy who was staring at her.

* * *

"Reporting for duty sir." Beast Boy announced, walking into Robin's office.

"Don't call me sir." Boy Wonder replied, not bothering to look up.

"You wanted to see me?" The shape shifter took a seat.

"I did." The leader finally looked up. "Remember a while back you suggested we investigate the security for the Jump City prison?"

"I do. Why?"

"Well, since then you've broke Billy Numerous out of his cell, and put him back. I would like a report on what you thought of their security."

"I can sum it up in two words sir. It stinks."

"Serious, don't call me sir. And I need more details than just 'it stinks', no matter how much I agree with you."

Beast Boy shrugged. "I painted the lens on the cell's cameras and didn't see any sign of a response."

"I was afraid of that." Robin sighed. "Some of the criminals take great pride in covering or smashing the cameras. It's gotten to the point where the guards don't even bother to respond anymore. They just call the technician and then escort them to the cells."

"Wonder how much it pays?" The shape shifter mused.

"What? Being a prison guard?"

"No. One of their technicians. Sounds like a job that's pretty secure." The boy grinned. "No pun intended."

"Right." Robin drawled. "Forget about job security for a minute if you don't mind, and focus on prison security."

"Right sir."

"Seriously, don't call me sir. What would you do to improve the prisons?"

"Paint the walls, sir." The shape shifter promptly replied.

"What?"

"Seriously sir. It's all just plain grey. No wonder the criminals go mad. I would too."

"Seriously, don't call me ... Oh never mind." Boy Wonder rubbed his head. "Paint the walls? What else? Anything that'll actually work?"

"Charge for capturing the criminals."

"We're heroes. We're not supposed to be in this for the money." Robin frowned.

"No sir. If it was money I wanted I would still be robbing banks."

"Seriously, don't call me sir. And please don't mention your time as Ghostling again." The leader shuddered.

"Sorry sir. But my point is that there's no incentive for the prison management to make things more secure. It's already good enough to hold your ordinary garden variety criminal, and when it comes to the villains we're always there to toss them back in. So why would they bother?"

"I see." Robin mused. "We certainly won't be charging them, but maybe we can threaten to."

"Charge who sir? The prisoners or the ..."

"No pun intended." The leader interrupted. "And seriously. Don't call me sir."

"Sorry sir."

"You're really angry you didn't get included in the amusement park outing aren't you?" Robin sighed. "Sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"No sir. I'm not angry over that at all." Beast Boy honestly answered.

"Then why ..." Boy Wonder looked at him questioningly.

"You didn't give Raven an option. You just assume she wouldn't want to go." The shape shifter shrugged. "Do you know what it's like to be alone?"

"Of course I ..."

"If you say yes then I'll call you a liar, sir." Beast Boy frowned. "Raven had no one until she met us. She didn't think she belonged anywhere. Remember her words. '_Trust me. If you knew what I really am you wouldn't want me around.' _To the people of Azarath, however kind they were to her, she was the end of their world. She wasn't human and she wasn't demon. She had no place. There was no Batman for her to run back to like you've got. No Doom Patrol like I've got, however much I despised it. Even Cyborg had people he hanged out with. She had no one. She didn't even have a race she could say she was a part of. She couldn't call herself human, and she certainly wasn't a demon. That's loneliness._"_

"I see." Robin glanced away.

The shape shifter backed off and calmed down. "As for prison security. Create a reward system from zero to a hundred. At zero the prisoner only gets the basic necessities. At a hundred they get access to books and video games, and perhaps even internet access. It starts at zero and goes up for each day they don't try to escape."

"That might help." The leader admitted. "Some of them spend most of their time behind bars. Eventually they would get tired of being at the bottom of the scale and behave."

"Just a few." Beast Boy admitted. "But that would still cut down on our work a little. You could also try cutting the pay of the guards who don't respond to cameras that go down."

"To be fair." Robin commented. "They're not equipped to handle someone like Cinderblock getting lose. It could get bloody if they tried to stop him."

"True." The green-skinned Titan admitted. "Now that I've thought about it, unless the city built a special prison that cost in the hundreds of millions there's not much that they can do. They would still have to rely on us. Billy Numerous is his own army, Cinderblock is the equivalent of a battle tank, Madame Rouge is ..." He shrugged. "I wouldn't know how to designed a place to hold her unless she was kept frozen."

"That's the conclusion I came to as well." Robin sighed.

* * *

There was a knock on the door which immediately opened as a head of violet hair poked its way inside.

"Chess?" The girl asked with a gleam in her eyes.

"Sure." Beast Boy grinned, watching as his _girlfriend_ entered the room.

Soon the game was set up with the two happily playing.

'Could make this more interesting.' Rage mused demonically with more than a slight hint of humor.

'Oh? Tell us.' Happy demanded.

'Your ideas of late have had a certain appeal.' Knowledge replied.

'I'm sure it'll be daring.' Brave said, sounding eager to hear more.

_Quiet. _Raven ordered, cringing as she wondered what the red-clad emoticlone of evil had come up with this time.

'There're eight main chess pieces if you exclude the pawns.' Rage mused grinning. 'And Raven is wearing four major articles of clothing.'

_Quiet. _The blushing girl screamed to herself, realizing where this was heading.

'My suggestion is strip-chess.' Rage continued, ignoring the outburst. 'For every two pieces a player loses, they take something off.'

_Shut up! _Raven silently yelled, blushing as she fantasized about actually playing the game. She usually won so ... _But, it's often close. By the end I would be down to ... very little. _The girl gulped as she visualized an image of herself in front of the shape shifter with just her panties on.

"Are you okay?" Beast Boy asked, looking at the bright-red girl who seemed distracted.

"I'm fine." She gulped, trying to add clothes to the image of herself that she could still vividly see in her mind. _Stupid emoticlones. _She fumed.

An hour later the game ended in an overwhelming defeat for the still blushing half-demon, whose emoticlones had vigorously insisted throughout the whole game that she suggest strip-chess. _I think I'm going to be losing a lot more from now on. _The violet-haired girl sighed. _Now that Rage has thought of it they're going to be bugging me to play it every night._

For the next little while they held each other and gently kissed. There was the occasional outburst of dark magic, but nothing major, as both the girl and the boy enjoyed the more minor pleasures of the flesh. Eventually they settled down and cuddled. During that time even her emoticlones were quiet.

"They still haven't figured it out." Raven told him, eyes closed as she relaxed in his arms.

"I've noticed. You want to tell them?"

"I was wondering just how oblivious they could be. Let's wait and see how long it takes before they figure it out, or before Starfire tells them." She suggested, almost purring. It was so warm and comfortable. _One day this is where you will sleep. _The girl mused happily. _In his arms._

"They wouldn't believe her anyway." Beast Boy pointed out.

"True." She admitted, as she reluctantly glanced at the time. "Massage to help me sleep?" She asked, already knowing the answer. Her empathic senses told her he enjoyed having his hands on her as much as she enjoyed having them on her. Perhaps more so.

'You've known him for years. You don't have to be so prudish.' Rage insisted.

'You can be a little bold.' Brave added

'It would feel so good.' Happy squealed at the image the red-clad emoticlone was holding in their mind.

'Ga...' Was the only sound Timid made.

'Interesting.' Affection softly spoke, obviously wholeheartedly endorsing the idea.

'Don't you trust him?' Rage asked.

_I do. _Raven insisted.

'Don't you want to be a little daring?' Asked Brave, who was obviously on the side of the emoticlone of evil.

'Don't you want to know how good it would feel?' Happy asked, picking sides.

The violet-haired girl swallowed and glanced at the boy across from her. "Look away for a second." She said impulsively. "Okay." She gulped nervously a few seconds later.

Beast Boy turned to look, and his jaw dropped. Raven was lying on her stomach, leopard pulled down to just past her waist, bra straps undone. Sure he still couldn't see anything ... private ... but ... "Ga." He said, in a perfect imitation of Timid.

"Much better than rubbing over the bra strap and stuff." Raven managed to say without a sign of the panic that was threatening to engulf her. There was the sound of paper being crumpled somewhere, and she though one of the shape shifter's book on animals had just met its end and gone to the great library in the sky. Focusing, she reeled in her dark magic before it could do more harm.

Heart pounding the boy, who had no words for the emotions coursing through him, knelt beside the girl and started to massage her shoulders, slowly working his way down her back.

_Good. _The violet-haired girl sighed, as almost immediately, she started to relax and the nervousness vanished. _His hands just feel that good. _She admitted with a smile

'Told you.' Rage spoke in a demonic purr, unable to keep the pleasure from her voice.

'Ga...' Timid said again, sounding happy if overwhelmed.

'Mmmm.' Affection murmured.

Time passed as the girl relaxed more and more, becoming comfortable with the situation and just enjoying the moment. She fell asleep.

Beast Boy sat back, watching the girl who he still couldn't believe had agreed to be his girlfriend. _Wake her. _His mind insisted. _If she turns over in her sleep... _He gulped. _In a few minutes. _The shape shifter decided, just gazing at her face. Asleep the careful control she usually held over her expression was gone. Placing a blanket on her, just in case she did turn over,he studied the lips that were turned up in a slight smile. _She's having a good dream. _The changeling noted happily. Unable to take her eyes from her, he too relaxed and fell asleep.

* * *

In their sleep their hands reached out to touch, and Raven became immersed in the first of Beast Boy's nightmares.

_Something is going on. _The violet-eyed girl thought with a hint of panic. _I'm no longer dreaming. This is ... real._

"Oh my God. Mark! Mark! Gar is dead!" A distraught voice screamed in heart-wrenching terror.

_Who's Gar?" _Raven wondered, watching the scene unfold. Her face turned pale as she looked down at a small, green boy who, while he had yet to grow fangs, was obviously Beast Boy. She gulped in panic.

"Mark! Mark!" The woman screamed hysterically, cradling the still form as tears rolled helplessly down her cheeks.

"Beast Boy." The intangible girl said fearfully. _I'm in his dreams. _She realized. _Or rather his nightmares. But this is real. It actually happened. I can sense it.  
_

"Mark!" The voice howled again.

"I'm here Marie." A man's panicked voice came from the doorway. "Put him down!" He commanded as he rushed in holding a contraption that looked like little more than a car battery with some wires attached. There was the smell of burnt flesh as he jabbed the ends of the wire into the boy's flesh. The small form spasmed, but otherwise remained still.

"Oh God!" The woman moaned with heart-rending sobs.

_He's alive. _Raven gulped. _I mean he has to be. He was giving me a back massage just minutes ago. _Looking she could see that while his body was deathly still, the boy was indeed still alive. _His soul, or astral form, or whatever is still okay. _She realized with a gasp of relief. Desperately wanting to turn away from the scene and call on her powers to leave the nightmare, she stood and watched with horrific fascination as the one she loved bordered on the line between life and death.

"He's not responding." The man sobbed as he shocked his son again and again.

_He will. _Raven knew, almost praying as she held her breath. _I was with him just minutes ago. So I know he's going to be okay. It's a dream from his past. Horrific and terrifying, yet not real. When he wakes up we'll talk about it._

Then she felt it behind her. Turning she stared at the massive form of darkness that was blacker than the darkest night. A grim reaper of souls come to take the one she loved. "No." She screamed as the scythe rose and fell. Within the body of the boy she saw his astral self disappear. "No! No! No!" The blue-clad girl screamed in rage, feeling the full force of her demon-self erupt in fury. Yet for all her power she couldn't change the course of the past, and that was what Beast Boy was reliving. Collapsing to her knees, she could only watch the now unmoving corpse with unbelieving eyes.

The scythe, unbearably bright, rose and fell a second time, slicing through the unmoving form once again. On the face of the demigod of death there was a look of bewilderment while it's eyes, dark pits that spoke of an unending night, blinked as if trying to sort through some indecipherable mystery. It's blazing weapon rose and fell a third time.

_There's no soul there. _Raven gasped as she finally understood. _The scythe didn't take it. He fled to that place with all the animals in those glowing cages. His Nevermore._

The demigod of death took a step forward, compelling Raven to finally move to protect the one she loved. Placing herself between the boy and the frightful creature that hunted him, she dared to face death itself. But it was just a dream over which her powers had no control. The being of darkness passed through her, unaware of her presence. Then its scythe followed, and dream or no dream, the half-demon shrieked in agony as it pierced her soul. Real or not real, her astral being knew what the weapon was, and it convulsed in response.

* * *

The scream brought Beast Boy awake with a chill running through him, and for a few seconds he looked around in a daze at the room which was nearly destroyed. Then his eyes fell on Raven's pale, unmoving form; she'd thrashed about, tossing aside the blanket that no longer covered her half-nude form. With a gulp he rushed frantically to her, checking her pulse as he automatically covered her once again. "Raven?" He called out fearfully, unable to find any signs of life. "Raven." He sobbed, with his hands grasping her wrist as in a panic he search for the tiny beat that would tell him she was alive. Finding it, he nearly collapsed as a shudder of relief ran through him.

_I've got to get her to the clinic and call Cyborg..._

The room door was violently pulled open as Cyborg rushed in in response to the scream. He came to a halt, staring in shock at the scene before him. A second later Robin and Starfire were in the room as well.

"Clinic. Now." Beast Boy said, almost growling. He rushed from the room with the comatose form in his arms. The others followed.

"I can't find any signs of an injury on her." Cyborg said fifteen minutes later. "Her pulse is weak and her life signs are pretty low, but she's in a healing trance. I think she'll be okay."

"Good." Starfire replied in relief. Her worried expression faded a little, though her complexion remained a little pale. "What happened?" She asked.

"That's what I would like to know." The cybernetic teen replied, turning towards Beast Boy who'd sank to the floor at the news.

The shape shifter, only barely aware of the other boy staring at him could only hear the words _'I think she'll be okay' _echoing in his tortured mind. _Thank goodness_. He sighed, unable to move or think coherently.

"What happened?" Cyborg repeated, raising his sonic cannon. That he was prepared for a fight was clear.

"What are you doing, friend Cyborg?" Starfire asked, perplexed.

"What was she doing in your room Beast Boy?" The titanium-clad Titan was obviously angry.

"We were playing chess and she fell asleep." The shape shifter managed to reply, only dimly aware of the weapon pointed at him.

"Playing chess half naked? Why wasn't she dressed?" The request came as a yell. "What did you do to her Beast Boy? Or should I say Ghostling?"

The words only dimly penetrated the skull of the emotionally overwhelmed shape shifter. "Massage." He finally managed to utter, still distraught by the fear of losing the one he loved, mixed with the overpowering joy that she would be alright. He was in no state to answer questions.

"Since when does she strip for you to give her massages?" Cyborg raged.

"He is very good with his hands." Starfire replied, blinking as both Robin and the cybernetic teen glanced at her. "I did not take off my clothes for him though." She quickly added. "But then I am not his girlfriend like friend Raven is."

"Girlfriend?" Both Cyborg and Robin uttered disbelievingly.

"Yes. Is it not wonderous news?" The orange-skinned Titan said. "Now we can double date."

"Star, this is serious." Robin stated. "They're not dating and she's not his girlfriend." He turned towards the still sitting form of the changeling. "There can only be one answer to why she would be unconscious and half naked in his room." His posture indicated he was ready for a fight. "Ghostling." The boy added, almost in a whisper.

"I'm not Ghostling." Beast Boy replied, finally managing to gather his wits.

"Why would friend Raven say she was his girlfriend if she was not?" Starfire asked, looking confused.

"You must've misunderstood her, Star." Boy Wonder answered, his eyes still on the shape shifter.

_They're not going to accept the truth. _The still emotionally overwhelmed boy slowly realized. "Scan me then." He told his friend. "You'll see my brain is normal."

"Not good enough. It might show major differences, but obviously some minor traces of Ghostling is still there." The sonic cannon didn't waver for a second.

"Then what're you going to do? Shoot me?" Beast Boy asked, not looking as he heard Starfire gasp. "Even when I was Ghostling with all that stuff in my skull I didn't hurt Raven, but you think I would now? That's insane."

"Friends. Please stop." The orange-skinned girl placed herself between the two. "It is friend Beast Boy."

"Out of the way." Robin ordered in a panic as he circled around her to keep his target in view.

"Well? What are you going to do?" The changeling asked again. _Raven is going to be okay, and she'll clear things up. So I just need to wait._

"The cell." Boy Wonder replied, just as the shape shifter knew he would.

* * *

For hours Beast Boy sat in the tower's cell that was designed to safely contain even the worst of villains. With the force fields set to allowed him just enough room for his human form, so as to prevent him from using a more power animal to break free, he spent his time as a bat. It allowed him to hear some of the things that were happening in the tower which was reassuring. If something was to happen to Raven the monitors watching her would go off with a high-pitched sound that he was sure to hear, and so long as there was no sign she was in danger he was content to wait.

Once he was startled by the sound of an alarm, and only relaxed when he realized it was merely the one that signalled a villain in Jump City. Things went quiet after that, causing him to worry as Raven was left alone with no one to help her if ... _Don't think about that. _Beast Boy told himself. _Cyborg will be monitoring her even if he's not present. And the T-car can get him there in minutes._

More time passed, and he started to worry. _Unless it's one of the tougher villains they should've been back by now._ Nervously he listened and waited, not knowing what else to do. If he tried to break out the others would take it as a bad sign when they returned.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

The sound caused him to jump, reverting back to his human form as he did so. Painfully he brushed against the force field that enclosed him, almost whimpering in pain. It was pushed aside as he looked a the Titans communicator they'd left him. It signalled Titans in trouble, with the location right here in Jump City. It was a call for help.

_Much use I am in here. _Beast Boy growled, looking at the fields of energy that kept him locked up. Fuming, he pounded on it, only to feel his hand become engulfed in agony. He couldn't even use his armor since it was on the beast, and that form was too large to fit in the cell.

As a hawk he studied the interplay of energies that made up the cell. Nothing was ever perfect and he could see weak spots where the energies overlapped, cancelling each other out. But it would still take a lot of muscle to punch through, and those places were nearly microscopic. Useless unless you were both small and strong. If he were to try getting through as an amoeba he would fry. As cells went, it was pretty well designed.

_Damn. _Beast Boy fumed. _Sometimes Cyborg is just too efficient._ _A person could stay in here until they died of old age and not get out. Die... _The word repeated itself in his mind several times. The Titans weren't killer, usually. The cell made sure the air was nice and breathable. _And if it wasn't then it would lower the force field rather than let a person die. _The changeling smiled. As Slade had taught him, no cage was perfect.

Satisfied with his line of reasoning the shape shifter used his teeth to make a tiny gash on his index finger. Shifting into the Joker he held the finger out and carefully let a single drop of blood fall to the floor. Immediately alarms sounded as the sensors detected the neurotoxin, and the walls of the cage vanished. Avoiding the spot of blood, he became human again as he raced up the stairs.

* * *

Despite the 'Titans in trouble' alarm, Raven was the changeling's first priority. Rushing to her side he started to check her vitals. When her eyes opened and she peered up at him, he smiled in relief as he impulsively hugged her.

"You're okay?" He asked, still worried.

"I am. But being in your mind is dangerous." She intoned, reaching up to pull her boyfriend down to prolong the hug. After seeing him die she needed to feel his warm, breathing form against her. To know he was okay.

"Sorry." The shape shifter didn't know what else to say.

"Don't be. I knew when I entered your ... nightmare ... that I should just leave. That I was prying where I shouldn't." She smiled. "I should've gotten your permission first. I'm sorry."

Beast Boy shrugged. "Raven. I have no secrets from you. There're things I might not want to talk about, and things you probably won't like, but I trust you with knowing what I am and who I am."

Raven blinked, astonished at the level of trust. "Thank you." The girl replied, amazed that anyone could ever trust her, someone born to end the world, to such a degree. "We'll have to talk about what I saw. It was ... interesting." She could thing of better words, like dangerous, but decided to leave it at that. She beamed at him, and then pulled him down for a long and passionate kiss.

"What's all the racket?" She asked breathlessly a minute later.

The green-skinned Titan gasped. "The Titans in trouble alarm!" He exclaimed, having forgotten all about.

* * *

"Cinderblock again?" Raven intoned, not believing it. "We've seen this guy a lot lately and I'm getting tired of it."

"Where's the rest of the team?" Beast Boy wondered.

Sending her senses out, Raven went pale. Immediately she moved to lift a car off the unconscious form of Starfire. "She'll be okay." The violet-haired girl said a few seconds later. I can heal her when we get her back to the tower, but for now we'll just move her out of the way. A few broken bones and scrapes, but no major internal injuries."

Beast Boy turned into a bear and quickly followed a blood trail to Cyborg. The guy wasn't in good condition, but it looked like he would live as well. He was even conscious, though the cybernetic parts of one of his legs and arms was brutally battered. The shape shifter stepped aside and let Raven grab him with her magic. She placed him more than a hundred feet away with Starfire.

Robin was found well thrashed not too far from the rampaging villain. Once again the half-demon girl safely placed him out of harms way.

"What now?" Raven asked. "He seems a bit more ... crazed, I guess you would call it, than normal." She observed, watching the concrete villain who was viciously smashing anything around him.

"Look at his back." The shape shifter gulped.

Levitating to a safe distance the girl circled around to look. 'Slade' was deeply etched into the creature's back, and she could now tell that it was in pain. When they fought it was always a long draw-out battle, but the cars and stuff they flung at it was never enough to cause it harm. It was always a matter of wearing it down with, what was to it, mild attacks. The letters, etched deeply into the concrete surface of its back, however were causing it sheer agony, and that was something the stone villain wasn't used to.

"Slade." She intoned with a shudder as she flew back to the shape shifter.

"I don't like this." Beast Boy said, appearing pale.

"Me either." She admitted. "But it can't be him. He's dead."

"Someone carved those letters, and Cinderblock was always his villain of choice for causing mayhem."

"True." She reluctantly admitted. "What do we do?"

"Is everyone okay?" He asked.

"Yeah. They will be. They were pretty much knocked unconscious, with some broken bones and torn muscles, but nothing life threatening. Bet it'll hurt when they wake up though. Why weren't you with them?"

"Long story." Beast Boy shrugged. "Ask Cyborg and Robin about it." He growled the words, and returned his attention to the massive stone villain before them. "Guess they stopped moving, so he stopped playing with them. He strong, but not really evil. He's not intelligent enough for that." The changeling mused, watching the giant concrete slab. "More like a robot that takes orders, and with Slade gone I'd hoped we wouldn't have to tackle him again."

"Oh. Okay. I will. But still, what do we do? Wait for Titans East?" Raven asked again, watching as the enraged, colossal villain ripped at the pavement.

"No. Let's take him down. Maybe if someone was to patch his back it might stop hurting. I'm betting he has some sort of ability to heal, though how concrete can heal I have no idea."

"And just how do you plan to do that?" The violet-haired girl intoned, keeping any trace of sarcasm out of her voice.

"By being messy. If you don't mind, could you grab a barrel of oil."

"Sure." She lifted into the air and scouted around, finding a place that delivered furnace oil. In minutes she had a drum full that she levitated and carried back to the villain.

"This wouldn't work in a lot of locations, but since he's in a nicely paved parking lot." The shape shifter showed her a number of huge ball bearing he'd grabbed from somewhere.

"I see." Raven replied. "We keep them slippery, and each time he tries to stand I just place one under his feet. If the ground were any softer it wouldn't work, but here it will."

"I got a very smart girlfriend." Beast Boy smiled at her.

"Just smart?" She asked, lifting an eyebrow with a tiny smile.

"Very smart, very pretty, very kind, very adorable, very cute, very bright, very clever, very perceptive, very enchanting, very caring." He paused for a second. "Very sexy, very hot,..."

"Okay." She would've laughed if not for the seriousness of the situation. "I get the picture." She smiled at him. "Ready to put this plan into operation?"

He nodded.

For the next hour she levitated steel ball bearing that she dipped in oil, and then placed beneath their foe's feet each time he tried to stand. It kept him down and tied to spot. Beast Boy grabbed three-hundred pound chunks of rock which he stored in his version of Nevermore. Dropped from several hundred feet they hit with the same force as a small car throw by the violet-haired beauty would. It just didn't destroy public property. Eventually, still moaning, the villain went still.

* * *

Back at the tower Robin and Starfire were carefully placed on cots in the clinic, while Cyborg, who had taken most of the damage on his cybernetic parts, went about trying to fix himself one-handed.

An hour later Raven had healed most of their injuries, leaving the minor ones for a later time.

"Friend Raven. You are okay?" Starfire asked, pulling her into a hug. "I was worried."

"I'm fine, Starfire." The half-demon didn't pull away from the contact, though her instincts said too. She'd learned her friend had her own instincts.

"What happened?" Robin asked, glancing at the way she and the green-skinned Titan were sitting close together.

"I fell asleep while getting a back rub from Beast Boy. It seems he fell asleep some time later as well and had a nightmare. I tried to watch it and got bitten for my efforts" She explained, blushing a little as she mentioned the back rub.

"Oh." Robin gulped. "What sort of nightmare could cause that sort of reaction? And why was his room totaled?"

"There was a grim reaper of souls in the dream and its scythe touched me. It might not have been real, but my soul recognized it as such." The girl paused. "It was certainly a unique experience." She admitted. "As for the room. I imagine since I couldn't affect the dream my powers must've ran wild outside of it."

"Wait." Cyborg interrupted. "If it was just a dream, how could it affect you?"

"It was real to my soul." She explained. "It knew what the scythe was and reacted."

"Oh." He sat back, fiddling with his arm, clearly still confused.

"As I said. Meddling in the affairs of a demigod of death is dangerous." The violet-eyed girl frowned. "But it seems I got to. If I can watch the full nightmare I think it would explain a lot of things." She turned towards her boyfriend. "Do you recall ever coming close to dying before?" She asked, already knowing the answer. She'd seen it in his dreams.

"Several times when I was a kid." He shrugged nonchalantly. "I know my heart stopped several times for more than half-an-hour. Other than that I don't know much. The only people who would know more are dead."

"Oh." Raven replied gulping, reaching out to grab his hand. She'd seen how impossibly close she'd come to having never known him, and that scared her.

The discussion ended with her agreeing to investigate. Little was said about the letters engraved on the villain's back.

* * *

As they all left the commons room, the girl pulled her boyfriend into her room. "Massage." She said, making it a command.

"You sure?"

"Yes. I need it to sleep. I need to know you're okay, and feeling your hands on me will do that." She blushed.

"Oh." He didn't know what to say to that. A minute later his hands were on her shoulders, once again working their way down her bare back.

"How much did you see?" She asked, wondering if she really wanted to know.

"Mmmm." He really didn't want to answer that question.

"Oh." _Guess I should've played strip-chess. _She mused. _At least then I might've got to see something in return._

'Told you.' Rage piped up.

_You did. _Raven admitted.

'Does that mean you'll play it tomorrow?' The red-clad emoticlone asked.

_No. _She replied. "So?" She asked, speaking to her boyfriend.

"So?" He was clueless as to the question.

"What did you think. I mean you saw." _What am I asking? _She wondered.

"It was a glimpse before I covered you. All I can really recall is trying to find your pulse. It was really hard to find." His voice trembled.

"Oh... I'm fine." She reassured him. Opening her senses she could now feel his own need through his touch. An all-encompassing desire to know that she was okay. As his hands roamed her neck and back, both of their desires were sated, and she fell asleep.

Placing a blanket over her, Beast Boy knelt and kissed her cheek. "Sweet dream Raven." He told her before he left for his own room. Finding it trashed even worse than he recalled, he pulled the mattress free of the shattered bed and slept on it. This time in his dreams he dreamt of the violet-eyed girl who'd long ago stolen his heart.

* * *

End of Chapter.

A glimpse into Beast Boy's past where once again he encountered a grim reaper of souls.

The massages are getting a bit more risque.

Signs of a new villain about to appear.

Many thanks to those who read and review.

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_**It's not Slade, nor is it the Joker, regardless of how it might first appear**_.


	15. Chapter 15

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_Time: The next morning._

* * *

_**A Morning Talk,... And Another,... A Reunion of Sorts,... Obsession,... Chess,... A Question,...**_

"So. You and Beast Boy." Cyborg mused with his eyes on the violet-haired girl.

"Me and Beast Boy." She replied, digging into the stack of pancakes she'd found waiting in the microwave for her.

"Why?"

"He's smart, kind, and cute. He also knows my moods pretty well. It's a good match. Not to mention his hands can work miracles."

"But." The cybernetic teen shrugged. "I just don't see it working." He admitted. "You're smart, attractive, and hard-working. He's ... I really don't know what to say."

'Is he trying to insult our Beastie?" Rage asked demonically in a tone that suggested disbelief.

'I think he is.' Affection almost growled.

'That's not nice.' Timid dared to say in defense of the shape shifter.

"You make it sound like I'm dating someone who's beneath me." Raven's eyes held a dangerous look.

"No." The boy hurried to deny the accusation. "I just think you could do better." He spoke without thinking.

'Better than Beastie? Impossible! Break his arms.' The red-clad emoticlone of evil roared in fury.

'I prefer our Beastie to anyone else we know.' Happy stated.

"Oh?" Raven's tone was icy cold. "Better than what? Let's compare shall we." The half-demon spoke with considerable furor, ignoring the voices in her head.

"Compare?" The titanium-clad teen didn't sound as though he liked the thought of that. He took a step back from the woman who had dark energy sparking around her hands.

"First let's try intelligence. Yesterday Cinderblock beat the heck out of you and Robin. Beast Boy and I, on the other hand, beat the heck out of him. Care to explain why?" Her tone demanded an immediately response.

"Well. We did some damage." The teen countered. "He must've been in pretty bad shape before he managed to take us down."

"He looked pretty active for someone who was in bad shape." The girl with the furious, violet eyes pointed out. "Actually I don't think either of you could've hit him more than three or four times."

"A bit more than that." Her foe suggested with a gulp.

"Right." Her tone was sarcastic. "We beat him where you failed because Beast Boy used his brain. On intelligence, at least when it comes to strategy, he beats you and Robin. Actually, there really isn't a comparison."

"Let's see how he does fixing the T-car?" The boy retorted.

"Admittedly he doesn't apply himself much towards technical fields, but he does in others. In case you haven't noticed you're half machine, so of course you're good at fixing stuff. You've got to be. On the other hand, he's just as good when it come to animals. Titans East was stumped by that giant squid or octopus or whatever it was that was off their coast the other day, and I didn't hear you or Robin offering suggestions. It took him all of ten minutes to figure out a solution." The girl with the blazing eyes stopped her rant, frowning at the guy who'd had the nerve to suggest her boyfriend wasn't good enough for her.

"He's smart when he applies himself." Cyborg admitted. "That doesn't mean he's a good match for you."

"And why not?" She demanded.

"He just isn't." The cybernetic teen insisted.

"Then let's continue comparing shall we?" The angry half-demon suggested. "How about kindness. He pays attention to me, and does nice things for me. He takes note when I'm lonely and makes sure I feel included in stuff. When I need time alone he gives it to me. If I'm feeling down he tries to cheer me up. When Starfire was depressed over Robin he's the one who talked to her and cheered her up."

"I didn't mean he wasn't a nice guy." Cyborg insisted. "I know he is. He's my best friend. I know I was quick to accuse him yesterday, but you know what it had to have looked like."

"And if it'd been Robin's room would you have accused him too?" Her eyes bore into him, causing him to take a step back.

"Well. There I would've just assumed..." He let his voice trail off.

"Assumed what? That I was making out with him or something? But you couldn't make that assumption with my boyfriend."

"I just can't see you two together, okay. I didn't mean anything by it." Cyborg backed off.

"Hrmph." Raven turned back to her breakfast.

* * *

The relieved cybernetic Titan rushed off, only to nearly run headfirst into Beast Boy outside the door.

"Interesting conversation." The green-skinned Titan said, greeting his friend with a frigid smile.

"I didn't mean anything by it." Cyborg insisted with a sigh. "I was just ..."

"Suggesting I wasn't good enough for her. Why?" The ice-cold eyes of Ghostling bore into the irritated teen.

"I didn't mean anything by it. So back off." The boy tried to push past the other Titan, only to have his way blocked.

"What you were trying to do was make her dump me. And I want to know why?" The smaller boy held his own against his titanium-clad foe, refusing him room to pass.

"I don't owe you an explanation." Cyborg insisted.

"Really. You try to break me up with my girlfriend and you don't owe me an explanation?" Beast Boy could only stare in disbelief.

"It's not like that." The cybernetic teen insisted. "I just want what's best for her." He cringed as he realized what he'd just said.

"And I'm not?"

"I didn't mean it like that." The older teen sighed. "Really I didn't. I was just running my mouth off. You're my best friend and a really great guy. It's not a big deal so let it pass."

"Right? I've had a crush on her for years, and now that she's paying attention to me you think trying to break us up is no big deal?" The green-skinned Titan shook his head, unable to even grasp the idea.

"Don't you think she deserves someone more ..." Once again the teen let his voice trail off.

"What?" Beast Boy asked. "Smarter? That I'm too dumb for her? Or someone human, and not an animal?" He growled the last part.

"I don't think you're an animal." Cyborg sighed.

"After the Ghostling incident I really thought you were all my friends. You accepted me back and trusted me." The changeling muttered savagely. "But friends don't tear each other down; they build each other up. So you think I'm not good enough for her. Fine. If she dumps me, then fine. It's her choice. But if she dumps me and I find out you had anything to do with it then I'll make your life a living hell." The enraged shape shifter swore.

The Cybernetic teen gulped. "I won't." He promised, not from fear but from acceptance. "I never thought you wasn't good enough for her. It just didn't feel right. But I won't interfere. I swear."

Beast Boy backed off just as an alarm rang throughout the tower. They both turned and raced for the commons room.

"There's a disturbance at Kalgon Street." Robin said, eyes focused on a monitor. "Let's go."

* * *

"Most disturbing." Raven intoned, staring at the robotic figures fifty feet below.

"I knew he wasn't dead." Robin swore vehemently over the communicator.

"Well. He was stone cold and didn't have a heart beat." Raven replied with just a hint of sarcasm. "He certainly was dead. It just seems that he isn't anymore."

"Not as if it's the first time he died." Cyborg noted, setting his sonic cannon to high power.

"On the bright side." Beast Boy interrupted. "At least it's just a few robots this time. No Cinderblock in sight." Still he swallowed nervously, recalling what'd happened the last time they'd dealt with Sladebots.

"If Slade is dead then we still have the robots to deal with." Starfire spoke. "If Slade is not dead then we still have the robots to deal with. So can we please just deal with the robots?" She asked, sounding rather upset.

"Any of them Slade?" Robin asked.

Beast Boy stood on the black disc he was riding with Raven, before changing into a bird to study the mechanical contraptions below. "Not that I can see. They all got magnetic fields running through them like robots." The changeling informed their leader when he'd resumed his human form.

"Welcome to a day of fun and games my little Ghostling." A figure suddenly appeared on the edge of a nearby, two-story building.

Starfire immediately turned to rained starbolts at it, only to have them pass through the serial killer who remained standing, though he staggered a little. Cyborg raised his sonic cannon. It took a chunk from the building but the figure didn't even flinch. Robin tossed two explosive discs that did nothing other than tear up the roof a little.

"Something's wrong." Beast Boy spoke softly, staring at the man he'd once called master.

"You think?" Raven asked sarcastically. She raised her hands and lifted a car to drop on her hated foe; the one who'd once hurt the boy who was now her boyfriend. It crashed to the roof, leaving the villain unharmed.

"That can't be Slade." The green-skinned Titan insisted. "I can't smell him."

"A fancier robot then." The violet-haired girl growled, flinging another car.

"Too much more damage and the roof will collapse." The boy noted, frowning with his nose twitching.

"We can risk it." Robin replied over the communicator in a voiced that was filled with hate. "Anyone in the place probably already fled."

"No they didn't." Raven intoned, searching the building with her empathic senses. "No more cars, and no more explosives."

"It's me, Ghostling." The man turned to face his former apprentice. "Did you miss me?"

"Not likely." Beast Boy growled. He became the beast, fully equipped with armor and bo staff. In seconds he was on the roof attacking in savage fury as he used the spell of rage his opponent had taught him.

"Not a very friendly greeting." Slade calmly commented, not bothering to strike back. His moves, fluid and graceful, seemed to let him avoid everything the beast could throw at him. At times he evaded with such speed the attacks seemed to pass through him.

"You're not Slade." The changeling said, turning back into his human form. "You can't be."

"Oh. But I am." The man grinned. "But trust me. If I'd known you could turn a grim reaper of souls back on me I would never had tried that particular trick. In fact, I think I would've packed my bags and gone back to Gotham." The figure barely flinched as a wave of sound from the sonic cannon once again passed through him.

"Huh?" Cyborg asked, frowning intensely. "Even if it didn't hurt him it should've knocked him off his feet. There's no way it could've passed through him."

"Hologram?" Starfire asked. "Friend Robin once used such a trick."

"Not quite my girl." The figure laughed. "Not quite." He raced at Cyborg and landed a punch that caused the teen to crumple to the rooftop. Turning, the hands of the villain lashed out at the orange-skinned alien who fled into the air with blood gushing from her nose.

"Curse you all." The villain started raging. "First you burned the flesh from my body and I had to serve under Trigon to get it back. And now you did this!" He continued the attack without saying exactly what they'd done.

Robin met him in hand-to-hand combat while Starfire carefully threw starbolts, trying not the hit their leader. Raven tried to grab the rampaging figure with her dark powers which seemed to just pass through him like Cyborg's sonic cannon did. Beast Boy became the beast again to strike at his hated foe. His every attack missed as if by magic.

_Something is wrong. _The changeling thought, as he studied the battle. _It's weird, but it's like I can't touch him. He's only half evading the staff; just enough to make it look like it's missing._ Growling, still in the form of the beast, he lashed out at the figure, still thinking. _And there's no smell from him, nothing. Then there's his color. It looks like something is missing from it._ Shaking his head, confused, he started whirling the bo staff until it hummed. Directing several lightning fast blows at his former master he nearly screamed in outrage as they all seemed to either miss or pass through him. _Optical illusion where he's moving so fast? _The Titan fumed. "No." He growled aloud. "They're actually passing through him, but for some reason I can't touch him." Knowing he couldn't harm the demon he fought, the shape shifter backed off.

"What are you doing?" Raven asked, still trying to crush the illusive figure.

"Thinking." He replied. "You might as well stop. It's just passing through him. Try something different."

_Different? _The violet-haired girl pondered with a shrug. She stopped trying to crush the triumphant figure below who'd just knocked Robin out, and tried to think. _Starfire's first attack singed him, but not the rest. Why? What was different?_ The half demon frowned, and tried an energy attack of her own. Sending forth a blast of dark magic she watched it rip into the villain who screamed and actually seemed to fade in places. With a vicious grin she marched on the wounded serial killer and repeated the attack. He faded from view as if he'd never been there. There was a finality to it that told her they would never see Slade again. He truly was dead this time.

"What happened to him?" She asked.

"No idea and no time to think about it." Beast Boy said pointing at the fifty Sladebots below. During the fight they'd been deathly still, but now they moved in unison. "Get Robin and Cyborg to safety." He ordered.

Nodding, Raven shrouded the two fallen Titans in dark magic as she lifted them to the top a of tall nearby building.

In the form of the beast the shape shifter charged, only to frantically leap back in fear. "Don't go near them." He yelled, in his human form once again. "They're using the Joker's neurotoxin." Frowning, he backed away from the small army of insanity and death.

Starfire, who'd been rushing down for a close-ranged attack, suddenly turned away and rose higher. Drops of blood ran from her shattered nose to drip down on the deadly foes below.

Raven didn't bother to ask if he was sure, or to wonder how Slade could've gotten hold of that vile substance. Rising out of their reach she paused as the Sladebots began to speak.

'Congratulations Ghostling. It seems you've won our last battle. You'll never see me again, though I will leave you with a little gift. My minions, the last that I'll ever create, shall rampage throughout the city killing at will as soon as your friends are dead. You, I will leave with the knowledge that you are partly responsible for their deaths.'

From the air the two girls rained down various forms of destruction. Starfire used her starbolts to good effect, while Raven use her magic to reach out and crush them. Slowly, Slade's minions started to perish.

Watching them at work the shape shifter, knowing it wouldn't be enough to kill them all before the robots spread out to seek other targets, became the beast and charged. His bo staff, with it diamond-tipped edge, hummed as he ruthlessly carved a path through the cybernetic machines. With a foe within reach they turned on him with savage fury, but that was what his armor was for, and even so he passed through them with such wrath and overwhelming power that few were left standing to attack in return. In minutes the small army of Sladebots were nothing more than highly toxic piles of scrap metal.

"Stay back." Beast Boy ordered Raven who was rushing towards him with her face white. Shifting to the form of the Joker he felt the toxins that'd started to rip at his mind fade from his system. Returning to his human form he smiled at the worried girl. "Good thing I can use that shape; it gets rid of any poison. I'm okay now." He reassured her with a smile.

"You sure?" She asked, studying him.

Beast Boy nodded. "However, we'll need to keep the area clear of people and call in the authorities. Anyone touches that and they're dead. It's nasty." He shuddered, realizing that if he hadn't been able to change into something immune to the neurotoxin he would've soon been as crazy as Harley Quinn had been. _Only she managed to live somehow while I would've died after I killed everyone I could. The people I love. _The changeling thought and another shudder ran through him.

"I'll watch for anyone coming using my empathy, and direct Starfire to them so she can warn them away." Raven replied, turning to take a few seconds to heal the shattered nose of the orange-skinned girl. _If she'd been human that would've killed her. _The half demon frowned.

Beast Boy nodded. "I'll do the same." Turning to Starfire he checked her for more injuries, though she seemed to be okay. "Be sure to stay away from the wreckage." He ordered.

She nodded. "I am not stupid." She informed him. "I know what it would do to me."

"I know." He shrugged with a smile. "But friends worry about each other and give each other such reminders even when not needed." Turning away he took the form of a hawk and rose into the air with Raven.

* * *

"I knew that guy wasn't dead." Robin fumed, marching around the room.

"He said he wasn't going to be back." Raven intoned. "I don't think we'll see him again. In fact I'm sure of it. He's dead."

"Like he was last time?" Their leader retorted angrily. "It's nothing but a trick and that means he got away. I didn't become a hero just to let villains run free."

"That villain will no longer threaten Jump City. Is that not a victory of sorts?" Starfire asked.

"No." Robin turned on the girl. "He's still free, so how is that a victory?"

"But the people are safe." The Tamaranean explained. "Would it not be at least a partial victory?"

"No. Don't act stupid Star." The response was roared in anger. "He could be making more of those minion somewhere now for all we know. And he even knows how to make the Joker's venom."

"I don't think that's the case." Beast Boy interrupted their leader's tantrum.

"Oh." Came the sarcastic tone. "And how would the person who nearly killed us all know? You might very well be working for him now."

There was a long silence in the room.

"The gas wasn't fresh. There was a different smell to it, so he didn't make it himself. The same with the Sladebots. They hadn't been maintained and smelled different." The shape shifter coldly replied, rising. "Rant all you want. Until you got something constructive to say I'm not listening. And you own Star and apology." He glanced at the girl who had a look of sorrow on her face and gave her a small smile. "Chess?" He asked Raven.

"Sure." The violet-haired girl rose to leave the scene too.

* * *

"He'll settle down." Raven intoned, studying the board. "It's only Slade that gets him worked up like this."

"Yeah. But even if we do find the guy and kill him, he'll never believe he's dead." The shape shifter shrugged. "Not sure I can blame him. The guy has risen from the dead twice."

"True." The half-demon moved her rook carefully. _Going to be a close game. _She noted contentedly.

'Our Beastie is smart.' Rage noted. 'You should've squashed that tin can like I told you to.'

'Not sure that was a good move.' Knowledge said, also focused on the board.

"You said you were going to investigate that nightmare?" Beast Boy asked.

"Yeah. But not tonight. I had to heal Cyborg and Robin, so I'm drained. It'll be safer when I'm not so tired."

"How dangerous is it?" The changeling asked, frowning.

"Not too much." She shrugged. "It's a dream. But I'll have to be careful not to touch the grim reaper while I'm in it."

"Could it ..." He gulped, keeping his eyes on the board.

"No. I know what to expect now. I'll watch from a distance, and if I get touched by that scythe again I'll just end up in a healing trance for a while." Raven tried to reassure him.

"Oh. Be careful."

"I will." She promised. "I can guess what happens. It chases you in ... whatever you want to call that place, and you touch it before it reaps your soul. That would be the presence I sensed while in there."

"Oh. Wonder why I can't sense that shape now, and why I can't use it."

"We'll know more when I see the whole nightmare." The girl shrugged. "There's probably a reasonable explanation."

"And it's safe?" He asked again with his eyes still showing worry. "I remember what you told Robin. That it's practically suicide."

"Yeah. And that was true. But now I know I won't have to deal with a real one. It'll be interesting." She smiled and her eyes lit up at the idea of discovering something new.

"You sure?"

"Yes." Raven sighed with a grin, almost laughing. Whereas once his insistence would've annoyed her she now found it amusing. Especially when it was concern over her that caused it. It was reassuring. "I like my life, thank you very much." She added. "And I like it even more now that I've got you." She leaned over to kiss him.

"Mmmm." He sighed happily.

An hour later, after she'd managed to force the game into a stalemate, she rose and told him too look away. Seconds later she sigh in bliss as his hands went to work. _What did a half-demon girl destined to destroy the world ever do to deserve something like this. _She mused happily. _And I wonder what the next step is from half stripping for massages._

'You need to ask?' Rage fumed, showing them all images of what she thought should come next.

'Ga...' Went Timid.

'Interesting.' Mused Knowledge.

'I like.' Sighed Affection.

'Bold.' Admitted Brave.

'Let's do it.' Happy bubbled excitedly.

_Let's not. _Raven told them with a small sigh. _Not yet anyway. One day._

'When?' Rage asked. 'Because I'm not waiting years.'

_Me either. _The contented girl decided. _Not years, but not yet. Soon. Maybe very soon._

* * *

Knock! Knock! Knock!

_What sort of idiot wakes up a soundly sleeping half-demon. _Raven wondered, forcing her eyes open. _Starfire again. _She realized, not even needing to use her senses to check. "Come in." She yelled, too relaxed to bother opening the door.

"Glorious night friend Raven." Starfire peeped in.

"What is it?" The concerned half-demon asked, taking a good look at her friend. She'd obviously been crying and had been for some time.

"Nothing. I just thought we might talk."

"Sure." She patted the bed next to her. "Guess it's another sleepover." She told the girl, trying to cheer her up.

The orange-skinned Titan looked around the room, not speaking.

"What's wrong Star?" Raven's voice held a hint of worry.

"Robin is in the evidence room checking the stuff we've gathered from Slade. It's not healthy for him to obsess so much. Even I know that."

"So does he, yet he still does it." Raven remarked. "He might mellow out in time."

"I thought if I asked him to be my boyfriend it might distract him from worrying over the villain." The crying Titan sobbed.

"Oh." The violet-haired girl frowned. "I'm guessing it didn't go well."

"He yelled at me." The sensitive Tamaranean replied. "He questioned my suitability as a Titan and firmly said no. I had thought we were important to each other, but I do not think that is the case now. He will always place his work above his love for me."

"Oh." Raven didn't know what to say.

"Would you be willing to share Beast Boy with me?" The orange-skinned girl asked, looking hopefully at the stunned form of her best friend.

"Ga..." Was all the utterly shocked half-demon girl could think of to say.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Bet Raven didn't see that question coming.

It seems Slade is gone this time for good. At least that's the case if Raven's impression of the event is right.

For some reason one of the FanFictions I read back before I started this story is running through my mind. I didn't mean to trash Robin in this chapter, but I keep recalling two events that happened in that story, and I'm letting it show through here. Sorry. I'm hoping Robin and Starfire get an happy ending.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	16. Chapter 16

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_You'll have to read the chapter to see how things turn out in regards of who Starfire ends up with, but I am surprised at the many strongly worded responses arguing both sides._

_I do reread the chapters, yet if I go back a month or so later and read them again I always find typos. Sorry._

_Next chapter will give the name of the last major villain._

_Time: The next morning._

* * *

_**Waking Up,... Cyborg and Breakfast,... A Chilly Talk,... More Talking,... A Lunatic Returns,... Resting,...**_

The violet-eyed girl watched the still breathing, still living, redhead with dagger in her eyes. Given the distress the girl had been in she hadn't had the heart to cast her out, so they'd decided on a sleepover. Lacking several mountains of pink pillows, they'd made do with rolling up two blankets to make a barrier on the bed. With her empathic senses it was something the half demon needed. Not that it kept the Tamaranean from smashing through the makeshift barricade once in a while to throw her arm over the other girl's face.

'Bite it." Rage commanded, as the orange-skinned arm prepared for another assault.

_No. _Raven replied with a small sight.

'We're a half-demon.' Knowledge pointed out. 'A bite would do a lot of damage.'

_No. _She stated again, not knowing whether the yellow-clad emoticlone's statement was an endorsement of the idea or not.

'It would heal.' Affection said in a tone that was anything but affectionate. 'You could think of it as giving her a mild warning.'

_No. _She emphatically stated again.

'No one steals our Beastie.' Happy growled frighteningly. 'Now bite." She ordered.

_No. _The violet-haired girl stated again. _Now for crying out loud shut up. You're giving me a headache._

'But we can't just do nothing.' Rage fumed demonically.

_Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! _Raven silently screamed, and sighed in relief as her emoticlones did just that. _Now, if they'll give me a few minutes to think about it, just what do I do? Sharing is NOT an option. _The girl mused. She pushed an arm that was about to hit her in the face to one side. B_reakfast, and then thinking. _She decided.

Careful not to disturb the sleeping girl, she stood and headed for the washroom.

* * *

_Lucky. _The violet-eyed girl sighed half an hour later as she saw Beast Boy leaving his room. _We can eat together. _Reaching out, she snared him with a rope made of black energy.

"Huh" The trapped shape shifter uttered in surprised, looking down at the black loop around his chest.

"Morning." Raven intoned, letting the boy go free.

"Morning." Beast Boy smiled at her.

"One thing." She said, pulling him to a stop and pushing him against the wall. Leaning in she poured all the lust and love she could into giving him a devastatingly fiery and passionate kiss. Five minutes later when she step back the stunned boy sank to the floor with a dazed expression on his face.

"Oh wow... Oh wow... Oh wow." He whispered over and over, rendered totally witless for the moment.

"Remember, if you kiss anyone else there'll be no more of those." The girl stated with a satisfied smile.

"Why would I kiss anyone else? You're the one I love." Beast Boy replied, still in a daze.

_He said he loves me. _The violet-haired girl smiled happily, in a daze of her own. With her heart soaring, she reached down to help pull her boyfriend to his feet. _Sorry Starfire, but I got the better deal, and I'm not giving him up. She_ mused, wanting to dance down the hallway singing.

* * *

They entered the kitchen area to find Cyborg already there cooking pancakes.

"Morning." The titanium-clad teen greeted them.

"Morning." Raven replied, tensing up a little. Beside here she felt Beast Boy do the same.

"Breakfast will be ready soon." The boy informed them amidst the hissing sound of batter meeting a hot surface. "I'll put the kettle on for your tea."

"What's up?" The girl intoned as she watched the teen busy at work.

"Just thinking." He shrugged. "Yesterday I sort of put my food in my mouth. Think of this as an apology."

"Oh?"

The boy shrugged. "It's just weird, is all. I didn't mean to put you down B." He turned to look at the shape shifter. "I've known both of you for a couple of years now, and I guess where I'm older than either of you I somehow came to think of you as a younger a sister and brother. As family. So seeing you two date is weird for me. Technically it's none of my business, but feeling like an older brother in both cases is ... confusing." The cybernetic teen shrugged. "I thought about it last night, and as far as I can tell you're actually perfect for each other."

"Oh?" Raven asked, less coldly.

"You tend to isolate yourself, and he refuses to let you do that." Cyborg shrugged. "Being cooped up day after day with nothing but books to keep you company isn't healthy. At the same time he doesn't over do it and does give you your space when you need it. Then there's the fact you tend to draw out the best in him. He tends to be lazy, but tries to hide it when you're around."

"Me lazy?" Beast Boy asked, sounding insulted.

"Not so much anymore." The cybernetic teen shrugged, refusing to back down. "Anyway, yesterday I sort of went overboard. I did learn that you'll stick up for each other, but I should've known that already from the years we've spent together. For some reason, right from the start of this whole Titan business you two always put each other first. You also know each other pretty well and trust each other." He started flipping over the pancakes, checking to make sure he hadn't burned any before continuing. "As relationships go you two got a pretty solid foundation to build on. Better than what Bumblebee and I got. We're still getting to know each other. I won't interfere again, and I'm really hoping it works out. Problem is, if it doesn't then I won't know what to do. Beat up Beast Boy because you're my little sister, or ..." he shrugged. "So make it work." He grinned at them.

"Oh." Raven took a seat, glad that the person she actually did think of as an older brother was on her side again.

"So you actually like tofu?" Cyborg asked, placing a tea bag and a cup of hot water beside her.

"When he cooks it I do." She replied, placing the tea bag in the cup.

"Oh. I see." The cybernetic teen smiled to show that he actually did.

As the smell of cinnamon rose from the cup the violet-haired girl sat back and relaxed. "Why would Robin have been different?" She dared to ask, curious.

"Unlike Beast Boy he's always kept some distance, so we're close friends but he isn't like a younger brother." Cyborg replied. "I might've believed you two were dating, but when you were okay again I would've taken him outside and pounded him within an inch of his life and told him to end it."

"Why?" She gulped at the strong reaction.

"As a friend he's solid. But he's too obsessed at times to be a good boyfriend." The cybernetic teen explained. Taking a deep sigh he turned to Beast Boy again. "Because of the way I always pictured you two, as brother and sister, when I saw you in your room with her like that I just assumed it was Ghostling. For you to be in a relationship with her wasn't something I could accept at the time."

"Given what you saw, I can understand why you reacted the way you did. It looked pretty bad, which is why I was willing to wait until Raven woke up to explain things." The changeling shrugged, speaking with no resentment in his voice. "As I see it, you were just trying to protect the person I love."

'He said the L word again.' Happy piped up gleefully.

'I like it when he says the L word.' Raged admitted with a contented sigh.

'So do I.' Timid added softly in a barely heard whisper.

'He deserves a reward for saying the L word so much.' Affection suggested. 'Maybe Rage can come up with a few ideas.'

'I can. I can.' The red-clad emoticlone of evil replied excitedly. 'But Raven won't act on any of them.'

'We'll just have to change her mind.' Brave suggested.

_Shut up. _Raven told them, silently growling the words.

"When he settles down from his current bout of obsession he's going to be really sorry." Cyborg added, still looking at Beast Boy.

"I know. And I agree with you." The green-skinned Titan replied. "When you need help he'll be the first one there, but when it come to Slade the guy has a few loose screws."

The cybernetic teen cringed. "Please don't use that expression around a cyborg. Loose screws have a whole different meaning for us."

Raven smiled.

* * *

"How're you feeling now?" The violet-haired girl intoned, ignoring the pleas of her emoticlones to do horrible things to the orange-skinned girl before her.

"Better. Sorry." Starfire replied, still sitting cross-legged in bed with no sign of her usual zeal.

"Why would you believe sharing is okay? I think the only reason this room is in one piece is because I was too shocked to do anything."

"Oh?" The girl gulped and looked around before replying. "I saw on the computer that humans sometimes do that. So do Tamaraneans. Was the computer wrong?"

"Around here it's not a common custom, though I suppose a few do." Raven admitted. "I have no plans to regardless of whatever they do on Tamaran, or what other people do. My half-demon nature makes me pretty possessive." Flickers of dark energy reached out to crush the wastebasket beside her desk. _Seems the shock is over with. _The girl mused, keeping careful control over the power least she do something she regretted.

"I am sorry." The Tamaranean replied wide-eyed, as she looked at the crumpled container that was now fit only for the garbage.

"Just don't suggest it again. Okay?"

"Okay."

'Should still give her a warning.' Rage suggested, paying particular attention to the girl's neck.

'If we need to we can later.' Knowledge reluctantly intoned. 'However, we should keep a close eye on her.'

'She's nice.' Timid dared to speak. 'If she's not trying to steal our Beastie then let's not kill her.'

_We're not killing her. Or maiming her for that matter. _Raven stated firmly. "What about Robin?" She asked the moping girl.

"I am tired of trying." Came the unenthusiastic response.

"Anyone else you're interested in?" Raven asked. "And don't say Beast Boy." She stated emphatically, seeing the girl hesitate with a certain look in her eyes.

"No. When I go to the mall of shopping many boys pay attention to me, but I do not like them. They are often ... vulgar."

"Oh. None of the other Titans?"

"No. There are those I find attractive, but none that I have feelings for."

"Willing to give Robin one more try if I talk to him?" The violet-eyed half-demon held her breath, knowing if the answer was no, then the girl would be pining over Beast Boy and that would be bad. _As in very very bad. _She told herself nervously, recalling what Rage wanted to do to the poor girl.

"I do not see the use." Starfire answered without pause. "I know couples sometimes argue, but I am not a mat to be yelled at or abused. His obsession with Slade does not excuse his more than loudly spoken words." The girl clenched her fist, clearly recalling the event. "I only asked him to be my boyfriend. There was no need to yell or insult me." Tears started to flow again.

* * *

"One more last chance." Raven urged the girl an hour later as they stood on the rooftop amidst the icy wind.

"How many do I give him?" The frowning girl asked.

"Just this last one." The half-demon answered, cringing. "You're right. You're not a mat for him to take his frustrations out on, but other than being a bit obsessive he's a great guy. So only one more chance. If it doesn't work then you can try casually dating the Titans you do find attractive and get to know them better."

"Okay." The hesitant girl agreed.

"It'll be okay." Raven stepped forward, and preparing herself, gave her a tiny hug. From the girl there came a wave of misery and sorrow. "One last time." She repeated, feeling an insane desire to tear Boy Wonder to pieces.

Looking around the half-demon wondered if they should change the location of their talk. Normally the roof was a nice place for a private conversation, but at the moment it was also pretty hostile. With a shrug she raised a wall of black magic to block the frigid wind. _Problem solved. _She thought. _If only they were all that easy to fix. _Searching the building with her empathic senses, she found the source of her irritation and unthinkingly yanked him magically through several floors to stand in front of them. Blinking, her jaw dropped. _Oops! _She told herself. _Should've checked first._

Robin stood with his head tilted upward, hands running through hair that was covered in suds. If that didn't tell them he'd been in the middle of taking a shower the fact he was soaking wet and naked would've. For a few seconds the boy continued to wash his hair, eyes closed. Then, as the wind stripped the warmth from his body he wrapped his arms around his torso, shivering.

_Boy is he going to be mad. _Raven gulped, as her eyes irresistibly slid down Boy Wonder's body to the one place she knew she shouldn't look.

For the first time in her life Timid spoke first. 'Our Beastie is bigger.' She mumbled with a slight giggle.

'He is.' Rage gleefully agreed with the grey-clad emoticlone with a snicker.

"Ya. Beastie.' Brave yelled, as if it were some sort of competition.

'Beastie will be more ... interesting in bed.' Affection noted.

"If Raven ever goes to bed with him.' Rage pointed out.

_Shut up! _The violet-haired girl told them, though she was in total agreement. While she had yet to do anything serious with the green-skinned Titan, she'd noticed that some of those things she did do caused a certain response that was hard to ignore. Gulping, her eyes still refused her command to look away.

Boy Wonder reached up as if to turn the water off, only to find his hand floundering in mid-air. Obviously he though something had gone wrong with the hot water and was trying to turn it off.

The two girls watched, not making a sound with their eyes looking way too low.

Their leader finally opened his own eyes to look around, only to find himself not in the privacy of his washroom but on the roof, stark naked before two girls whose eyes were a bit too low. Immediately his hands dropped to cover the spot those eyes were fixated on. "Ga..." He stuttered.

"I supposed you're wondering why we called you here?" Raven said, deciding the heck with it.

"Ga..." The boy repeated again as he ran for the door, using one hand to cover his behind. The wind was already causing him to shiver uncontrollably.

"Sorry. But until we've straightened a few things out you're not leaving the roof." The violet-eyed girl calmly intoned. Boy Wonder turned around and her eyes immediately slid downward again.

"Stop looking there?" The distressed teen commanded, teeth chattering.

"Where?" She asked innocently, eyes not wavering.

"You know where." He fumed, turning a mix of red and blue as both embarrassment and the cold had their way with him.

"Apologize to Starfire." The half-demon commanded with a hint of furor, looking up to stare him in the eye."When a kind, intelligence, and attractive girl asks you to be her boyfriend, yelling at her is _not_ the proper response."

"We've got to figure out what Slade is up to..." The boy started to say.

"Wrong." Raven interrupted. "Slade and how you spoke to Starfire are two different matters. Regardless of how obsessed you're over someone who might very well be dead, it doesn't give you the right to insult her."

"But..."

"No buts" The annoyed girl retorted. "Well, except for yours." She couldn't help but add sarcastically as she let her eyes roam lower.

"Stop it!" Boy Wonder commanded with a pleading tone.

With a sigh, as if speaking to a child, Raven looked him in the eye again. "They are two different matters. Slade is one. Starfire is the other. Using Slade as a reason to insult Starfire is wrong. I'll make it simple for you. Agree or disagree?"

"But..."

"Agree or disagree?" She stated again with a frown. "Or let me put it another way. If Beast Boy and Cyborg argued over tofu, would you agree or disagree that Beast Boy doesn't have the right to yell at you and insult you?"

"Agree." The teen muttered lowly, shivering.

"Using Slade as reason to insult Starfire is wrong. Agree or disagree?" Her tone still suggested she was speaking to a kid.

"Agree." Came the stuttered reply. "Can't we do this some place warmer. With me wearing clothes?" He pleaded.

"We've started, let's finish." Raven intoned nonchalantly.

"But..."

"What about your butt?" She added, raising an eyebrow just before her eyes glanced downward again.

"Stop it." The boy yelled, furious. "You have no right to treat me like this."

"You treated Starfire bad, and accused my boyfriend of working for a serial killer. Which, unless there's another one of those mind-altering devices in his skull I'm pretty sure isn't happening. If that doesn't give me the right to treat you the way you treated Starfire, then what does?" Her tone was as glacially cold as the wind lashing around the poor boy's flesh.

"I was ... frustrated. Slade is out there somewhere plotting and we can't just let him get away." Boy Wonder managed to gasp out as he crouched low on the rooftop to avoid the wintry wind.

"Does your frustration give you the right to lash out at others?" The half-demon continued in a less vexed tone.

"No. It doesn't." The red-faced boy turned to look at Starfire. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said any of those things. You're amazing and a vital part of the team."

Raven turned to look at the girl who had yet to say anything. "What do you think?" She asked the still frowning redhead.

"Are you sure you don't want to share Beast Boy?"

Raven blinked, and the door to the roof blew off its hinges. "I'm sure." She stated adamantly in an icy-cold tone.

"Sorry. Just making sure." The orange-skinned Titan replied with a sigh.

The two of them turned to continue staring at Robin.

"Guess that means it's over with you two." The violet-eyed girl shrugged.

"What? No. Star wait, I'm sorry." The boy said in shock.

"Hrmph." The Tamaranean turned away.

"What's going on?" Beast Boy and Cyborg yelled, running onto the roof after having heard the door explode.

"He was flashing us." Raven said, as for a second she lost control and Rage managed to speak through her.

"What?" The green-skinned Titan roared, changing into a T-rex.

"What? No! Wait!" Robin exclaimed.

"Not cool." Cyborg intoned, raising his sonic cannon. "You mess with my sisters you mess with me."

There was a red and blue blur as Boy Wonder streaked from the roof. Close behind him came the snapping jaws of a massive T-rex dinosaur, followed by a cyborg that had one red eye flashing along with a sonic weapon aimed and ready to fire.

_Rage. _Raven admonishing.

'What?' The red-clad emoticlone of evil asked. 'I'm your evil side remember? So what do you expect?'

The violet-haired girl let out a sigh. "Come on." She told the redhead beside her. "Whatever else, we got to make sure they don't kill him."

"He has a tough hide. I am sure he will be okay." Came the nonchalant reply. "Want to go to the mall of shopping?"

* * *

"How're you doing?" Raven asked their not so fearless leader who was dressed up in a sweater and jacket. She could also see signs of shampoo in his hair which told her he hadn't had the nerve to go back and finish his shower.

The embarrassed, and enraged boy keep his still red face turned down, not daring to look up to meet her gaze.

"No one respects you any less just because we got to chase you around the tower naked for twenty minutes." She intoned.

Snap. The pencil in Boy Wonder's hand met its end and got carelessly chucked in a wastebasket. There was the sound of grinding coming from his teeth.

"Honestly." She intoned. "You're one of the people I respect the most. If you stop taking your frustration over Slade out on others then I'll respect you even more." Waiting for a reply she got only silence. "You taught me to be loyal to my friends. Remember? Even against Trigon you didn't desert me. I love and respect all of you. You're my family. Starfire is like a sister to me and she was in pain. Pain that you were causing her. Was I supposed to let that continue?"

"No." He admitted. "Snapping at her was wrong, and I would've apologized."

"I didn't mean to ... You know. I thought you would be dressed and working out by then. You usually are."

"I stayed up late reviewing what we know about Slade." He explained.

"I'm sorry." The violet-haired girl said apologetically. "I went a little too far."

"A little?"

"That's all I'm admitting to." She intoned.

"Doesn't matter. She's not talking to me." The boy gave a single shudder that was a sob before he managed to regain control of himself again.

"That'll change. I'm pretty sure you got one last chance. But if you mess it up I'll make sure she never looks at you again. At least not as boyfriend material." Her tone was firm on that last part.

"Do you think she will?" There was desperation in his voice.

"I'm thinking there's a good chance of it."

He nodded. "I hope so. She has her pride as a warrior and I stepped all over it. It was stupid of me. More than stupid, it was crazy. When she asked me to be her boyfriend I should've only said yes. I should've been so happy. Instead I just got angry over people not taking Slade seriously."

"We take him seriously." Raven declared. "He messed up Beast Boy's mind for weeks, and nearly had him kill us. That guilt is something my boyfriend will be dealing with for a long time. I drained my powers so low I was near death a number of times while I tried to keep the team alive. Even thought he didn't bite me, that snake venom came close to killing me too. Cyborg nearly died twice, and Starfire was frightened to death you would die. Trust me, we take Slade _very _seriously"

"Oh."

The violet-haired girl calmed her emotions. "Perhaps if you'd spent time with her you would've been able to relax. Being obsessed doesn't help you think."

"Yeah. I didn't figure anything out and ended up messing things up with Star. Then to top it all off everyone got to ..." He shuddered.

"Sorry." Raven intoned once again. "I should've just asked for a meeting in your office."

"Do you think it was Slade?"

The violet-haired girl shrugged. "Not sure. It looked like him, but people don't just fade away like that. It was his machines and the whole thing seemed like something he would come up with, but according to Beast Boy the machines and the gas weren't maintained. That goes against his perfectionist nature. I don't think it was him."

"Oh." The still red-faced boy meekly returned his gaze to the desk. "Okay. I hope it wasn't."

* * *

The alarms brought them all running to the commons room. From there it was a short trip to an elementary school where five days a weeks a thousand kids sadly marched off to be tortured beneath the vicious eyes of diabolical teachers armed with various fields of unholy knowledge. It was truly a horrific place that only someone like the Joker could love.

"Welcome my precious Robin." The lunatic raged. "Look what you did to me." The Crown Prince of Crime danced around on the roof of the building as though the icy wind didn't bother him a bit. "Once the world was my oyster, but you took that away and now all the lovely children won't get their smiles. Only these few." He gestured towards the building he was standing on. "How horrible it must be for them. How could you've done this my pitiless and cruel friend? Don't you care about the children?"

"What do you mean? What we did to you?" The leader growled. "You look fine to me."

"Silly little boy. Looks can be deceiving, and in this case nothing could be further from the truth. But the kind man has given me one more chance to make at least a few of the children smile."

"The kind man?" Raven asked, staring at the malevolent figure..

"The kind man is the kind man." The Joker raved. "One last chance to bring a smile to the world. How can anyone be more generous than that?" He turned to peer at Robin. "He's nothing like you my cold-hearted friend. Repent of your hate for the children and make them smile."

"You're insane." The teen growled back. "Your head was cut off. How can you still be alive?"

"The kind man. The kind man." The Joker sang again with a twisted grin. "One last chance, and this is it." The demonic villain turned to face Boy Wonder. "One final game for us to play." The Crown Prince of Crime held up a remote control. "This is hooked to a canister in the school. You have two minutes to kill yourself or all the little children finally get the lovely smiles they deserve. Let's see how much you hate the poor little things now. Are you willing to die to stop their grins of joy, or will you live and allow their days of sorrow to come to an end?"

"You're insane." Raven intoned in horror.

"Sanity is a handicap my dear little girl. It's much overrated." He turned back to their stunned leader. "The time begins now." His other hand held out a clock and pressed a timer. Through the air a loud clicking could be heard. "Do you hate the poor babes enough to die and forever deny them their chance for endless days without sorrow, or will you allow me to give them the undying bliss of the Joker's venom?"

Starfire rose above the villain, ready to rain down destruction. Raven called on her dark magic in all its fury. Cyborg raised his sonic cannon and took good aim while Boy Wonder pulled out explosive discs. Yet neither of them let loose with the firepower they had least they strike the remote control, causing it to release the Joker's neurotoxin on a thousand, young, innocent kids.

"Tick tock. Tick tock." The lunatic laughed. "What shall it be my precious little bird?" The crazed serial killer pranced around the rooftop in the frigid winds as if he hadn't a care in the world. 'Tick tock. Tick tock." He roared with laughter.

* * *

Beast Boy took the chance when the Joker wasn't looking his way to become a humming bird and dashed out of sight. In seconds he was in the school in the form of a bear sniffing the air. _The toxin isn't close. _He noted, trying to keep his panic under control. Using the shape of the bird he made quick dashes down the hallways, stopping every once in a while to become the massive grizzly whose powerful nose could smell the deadly poison. Though he moved at a pace few could've followed, to him it appeared as if he was in a nightmare where things moved with an impossible glacial slowness.

Stopping to sniff, then make another dash, the shape shifter was aware of each passing second. A school built for a thousand student was large, with more than ten thousand possible hiding spots. Slowly he closed in on it. Entering the cafeteria, he found it full of rambunctious children with his sensitive nose telling him the deadly toxin was within feet of him.

Mentally counting a minute and fifty-six seconds the frantic Titan spotted a small canister on top of a fan that was merrily turning around, ready to spread the vile toxin over the unaware children below. His hand reached out and grabbed it as he counted a minute and fifty-eight seconds. Not knowing what else to do in the two seconds he had left, he went through a quick succession of changes and stored the cylinder in his version of Nevermore. _Really got to think of a name for that place. _The shape shifter though, racing away as a humming bird again. The green-skinned changeling had entered the room, and acted so fast, that not even one of the children had noticed him. He left them eating peacefully with the occasional outburst of laughter and loud chatter. The teachers, watching over them with eyes more vigilant than those of a hawk on the hunt, were never the wiser.

* * *

Raven watched the clock, and could even see the hands on it ticking merrily away as if joyfully counting the time. Suddenly the air was filled with the sound of Cyborg's sonic cannon, and she saw smiling form of the Joker left standing unharmed even though she could've sworn the blast went straight through him.

"Bad boy." The maniac laughed. "The game isn't over until I say it's over. Now put that silly toy down or I'll say time's up and give all the little boys and girl a great big smile."

Gulping, the cybernetic teen obeyed.

"Damn." The violet-eyed girl muttered to herself.

"Let everyone go and I'll do it." Robin said with his face pale.

"No!" Starfire screamed, eyes wide in horror. "You must not."

"Good boy." The villain smirked with his unnatural grin clearly showing his madness. "Now, how will you choose to die? That I'll leave up to you since I seem to be all out of Joker's venom. Being the generous man I am I won't even demand that it be slow and messy."

Robin pulled out an explosive disk. "It'll be fast." He said in a steady voice. "But you've got to swear not to hurt the children." His eyes bore into those of the madman.

"Me hurt children? My precious Robin, why would I ever do that?" The voice spoke mockingly.

"He's going to hurt the children anyway friend Robin. Do not do it." Starfire pleaded.

"If he does, then tear him apart." The boy ordered.

"Robin?" Cyborg gulped, staring at his friend.

"There's another way." Raven told the pale, masked teen. "Remember. Even with Trigon there was another way."

"I can't live with another life on my conscience." Was the only reply their leader made as he continued to stare at the deranged killer.

"Time is up." The Joker spoke. "Do it now or the children will receive their smiles and an end to their days of sorrow."

The half-demon girl watched in horror as her friend placed the disc on his cape. Above her she could hear Starfire screaming, while within her Rage burned to be unleashed. Yet she couldn't do anything if it meant children might die.

"I'm sorry Star. Find someone who doesn't yell at you. You deserve the best there is." Robin said, voice wavering as he tapped the disc on his cape. The explosion tossed his mangled form backwards, close to the edge of the roof.

Starfire immediately dropped down beside her fallen friend, screaming. Raven was immediately beside her, checking for life signs, while Cyborg stood unmoving several feet away as if unable to believe what'd happened.

"Enough." The insane killer laughed. "That's one birdy down, but there're more. Which of you are next? One game is over and another begins." He pointed at the orange-skinned girl. "Two minutes to die by your own hand or all the poor little children start to smile." His voice spoke of madness and a total willingness to do just as he threatened.

The three of them turned to stare in horror at the psychopath. _Where's Beast Boy? _Raven wondered. _Glad he isn't here, though I can guess what he's up to._

* * *

The shape shifter came hurtling over the rooftop in the form of a humming bird. "There's no toxin in the school now." He informed them as he became human. He paused as his eyes came to rest of Robin's still form. _Too late. _He told himself as guilt and fury tore at him. Using the spell of rage he turned on the mocking form of the lunatic who'd dared to kill a part of his family.

In the hands of the beast the bo staff whirled, humming, as he lashed out at his foe with only one wish. To tear the Joker to shreds. Yet as fast and as furious as he struck there was no resistance, and the attacks that should've been devastating did nothing. Frowning as he continued to try to tear apart the laughing madman, he sniffed the air. There was nothing; so far as he could tell by touch and smell he was fighting nothing but air. _And he looks strange too., In fact his color is off just like Slade's was. _The shape growled and stepped back as he realized this.

"Raven. Hit him like you did with Slade." He ordered.

The violet-eyed girl looked up from the shattered body of her friend and hurled forth her fury at the laughing form of the Joker. The madman wavered in the air, and then disappeared with the same sort of finality as Slade had. _He's gone for good. _The half-demon growled with some satisfaction as she turned her attention back to the one she thought of as a brother. Her hands glowed as she poured forth her soul, trying to flame the miniscule spark that still remained in him to life.

* * *

Too tired to talk, the violet-eyed girl pretended to sleep. In reviving her friend she'd pushed herself close to the point of death, and wished only to rest. Her senses told her that Beast Boy was sleeping restlessly in the chair beside the cot she was in. There was terror in his dreams, and something told her it was worry over her that caused it. Guilt tugged at her, but she accepted it knowing that if the situation was reversed she would be the one worrying, while he would be the one feeling guilt. It was the price they paid for being so close.

Once in a while she would feel Starfire approaching to look in on her. The girl spent most of her time sitting beside Robin, worrying over him. Having been in perfect health, with a will that wouldn't quit, he'd managed to pull through somehow, though he had yet to regain consciousness. _I should get him to make me one of those titanium capes. _The girl mused. _It's what saved him. It spread the blast over his whole body. A few dozen bones broken, some internal organs punctured, but it provided enough protection to give him a chance. Thankfully. _A shudder ran through her and she nearly started weeping. _So close. _She thought.

A sound drew her attention. _He's waking up. _Raven realized, grateful. Keeping quiet she let him and Starfire have some time together.

* * *

"I'm alive?" The boy spoke in a voice that was hoarse and filled with pain.

"You are friend Robin." Starfire sobbed, not bothering to hide her emotions as was the nature of her kind.

"How?"

"Your cape protected you, and friend Raven healed you." The girl paused. "It was very close. You still have many wounds that she did not have the energy to mend."

"Oh." There was a yelp of pain.

"Stay still." The Tamaranean ordered. "You are not well enough to move."

"You stayed beside me?" The boy asked, sounding glad even through the pain.

"Of course." The girl simply stated.

"Thank you."

There was a long pause.

"You are most welcome, friend Robin."

"What happened? Is everyone okay?"

"They are. Friend Beast Boy found the poison just after you ... did that." The girl's voice wavered. "None of the children were hurt. The Joker vanished like Slade did, just fading from sight. It was very strange, but I am sure we will not see him again. Slade said he would not return, and I am sure the Joker will not return as well. They are defeated."

"Good." The boy replied weakly. "Star?" He asked after several seconds.

"Yes friend Robin?" The girl immediately replied.

"Would you mind getting me a drink of water. I would appreciate it very much."

"I would be more than happy to." The girl joyfully replied.

"Thank you." Robin's voice replied a few minutes later, sounding less hoarse.

"You are most welcome." There was a smile in the girl's voice.

"Star. There's something I would like to ask you." There was fear in the boy's voice.

"In time." The girl happily replied. "One_ last _chance. I do not believe you will treat me as a mat anymore. But let us see how things work out first."

"Okay." Boy Wonder's voice was a mix of relief and disappointment.

"However. Perhaps we can start from where I would like to." The girl suggested.

"Anything you wa..." The boy went quiet. "That was amazing." He sighed a minute later.

* * *

_Seems he's finally learned to treat her with respect. _Raven happily mused.

'Good.' Rage spoke up. 'Then we might not have to kill her.'

_As if you would've anyway. _The violet-eyed girl snorted.

'Hey. I'm evil.'

_I know. But you're me. And since I would never hurt her, then you wouldn't either. _The half-demon countered.

'I want a massage.' The red-clad emoticlone of evil stated, changing the subject.

_So do I. _Raven sighed. _But it'll have to wait until tomorrow. I can't even move right now._

* * *

End of Chapter.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	17. Chapter 17

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_Thanks for pointing out that I had mistyped Slade as Shade._

_Now, the third and final villain of the story unrevealed. Final hint. Story was started on Halloween. :)_

_Time: Two days later._

* * *

_**The New Robin,... Who's the Final Villain,... Meeting the Final Villain,... A Demon Unleashed,... No Surprise Here,...**_

"You're acting different." Raven intoned as she watched Robin go through his notes on Slade. Though the boy still spent considerable time trying to figure out what'd happened with the two serial killers, he was no longer quite so obsessed over it. He ate meals with them, and paid attention to Starfire. At times he even sat down and played a few video games with her boyfriend and Cyborg.

The boy shrugged before speaking. "You know, when I was dying all I could think about was Star and how we would be parting with things still left unsaid. That her last memories of me would be of us fighting. Should I actually die I decided I would rather for her to able to recall the times we spent together as something worth remembering. I want her to be able to cherish those times, and recall them fondly."

"I see." The girl spoke impassively, though inside she applauded the change.

"Thanks for trying to set my head straight." He grinned at her. "But I really could've done without streaking through the tower for a full twenty minutes." The boy shuddered before continuing. "I'm still not sure whether Beast Boy was trying to neuter me or not. Those jaws were huge."

"I'm sure he wasn't." She calmly lied.

"Hmm. That question she asked ... about you and ..." The boy's face turned red.

"About whether or not I would share Beast Boy with her? What about it?"

"She was just trying to make me jealous, wasn't she?"

"No. She was serious, so you better treat her right or I might say yes." Raven intoned apathetically.

"Oh..." Boy Wonder went speeches.

'No way!' Rage roared. 'We're not sharing.'

_Of course not. _The violet-eyed girl retorted. _But he doesn't know that._

"Have you investigated Beast Boy yet?" The leader quickly decided to change the subject.

"I've investigated parts of him. I'm pretty sure he has the best hands in this dimension, and the best pair of lips too. Why're you asking?" She gave him a slight smile. "I hope you're not going to ask me to share him too."

There was the sound of teeth grinding as the boy turned redder. "You know what I mean."

"No. I haven't." Raven replied in a slightly more serious tone. "I want to be fully rested when I do, and with all that's been happening there hasn't been a chance."

"Okay. No rush now since all of you seem sure Slade and the Joker are gone for good." He smiled. "Be nice if you're right."

* * *

"Has anyone ever heard of the kind man, as the Joker called him?" Robin asked the team.

"If he helped those monsters he is anything but kind." Starfire stated.

"True." Boy Wonder hurried to agree with her. "But we've got to call him something, and that's the only name we've got to go by."

There was a long silence in the room, causing the leader to sight. "Same as me." He admitted. "I've researched what I know about Slade, and I had batman send me everything he had on the Joker. There wasn't anything that even hints at such a person."

"A new villain?" Cyborg suggested before shrugging. "New to us anyway."

"Only thing is, those people were, yet were not, Slade and the Joker." Beast Boy stated, sounding sure of himself. "They had knowledge that only those two could've had, but physically they weren't them. Things went through them, and there was no smell of poison on the Joker."

"We'll start there." Robin decided. "What was different about them?"

"My sonic cannon just passed right through them." Cyborg spoke, looking deep in thought. "At least it did with the Joker. I know it wasn't a miss."

"As did my starbolts." Starfire pointed out. "They did cause them some pain when they went through, but that is exactly what they did. There was nothing there to stop them." She peered at their leader thoughtfully. "Holograms?" The girl suggested.

"They flinched when the starbolts went through them." Cyborg pointed out. "So it would've had to have been a pretty complicated set up, but there was no wreckage left behind. And they could certainly touch us."

_Real, yet not real_. Raven mused, keeping quiet.

"They both basically said they wouldn't be back." Beast Boy said. "Slade said it was the last we would see of him, and the Joker also said it was his last chance. From the sound of it they didn't just mean Jump City, but that for them everything was over. That they were dead like they were supposed to be.

"And when they disappeared it was as if there was a finality to it." The violet-eyed girl intoned. "As if they were gone for good."

"Which makes no sense." Robin fumed. "At least to me it doesn't."

"People who know things only they could've known, yet who aren't there when you try to touch them. People who can touch you." Raven mused aloud. "You do know what we're describing are ghosts."

"Ghosts." Cyborg blinked. "Are those real?"

"How would I know?" The girl asked apathetically. "Demon exists though, so who's to say ghosts don't."

"The kind man would have to be someone who can summon spirits." Beast Boy spoke slowly, finding it hard to believe. "Some sort of mystic or necromancer. Are there spells for doing that sort of thing?" He turned to look at his girlfriend.

"Not the sort of spells I deal with, so I wouldn't know for sure." The violet-eyed girl shrugged. "Talking to the dead, sure. But summoning ghosts so they can plot crimes is a whole different matter. However, I do know spirits exists since when I teleport that's basically what I become. On the other hand, unless Slade and the Joker were ghosts, then I've never actually seen one."

"The way I see it." Beast Boy spoke again. "Is there that there're three options. One. Both Slade and the Joke wrote things down, or had the same accomplice. That the whole thing is a plot they put together. Two. It's someone who can speak to the dead, but the rest of it is just smoke and mirrors. Or three. We're dealing with someone able to raise the dead."

"Not the flesh though." Raven intoned. "Just call their spirits here. It's not actually raising the dead."

"Is there anyone mentioned in Batman's files who might be able to do that?" Cyborg asked.

"I'm going to phone him and find out." Robin replied, standing to find a private place to call from.

They waited. When ten minutes had passed Starfire went to get the mail.

"We have a letter." The girl waved it around excitedly.

"From who?" Raven intoned. They got a lot of mail, so if it got the girl excited it had to be something out of the ordinary.

"Harley Quinn." The redhead carefully passed the letter to Cyborg. "It is best if you scan it first. I am sure there is no harm in it, but she was once a villain."

"It's clean of explosives and neurotoxin." He told them a minute later. With a quick gesture he opened the envelope.

Starfire grabbed the letter and started reading.

* * *

_Dear Friends._

_May I call you that? For me, given my past, those are few and far between. You saved my life, and healed me whereas many would've gladly watched me die. For that I'm truly grateful, so even if you don't think of yourselves as my friends, I do. Enemies don't help others like that. And I think of myself as yours and would appreciate being able to repay even a small part of the debt I owe._

_In a short time two major villains, Deathstroke, who you know as Slade, and the Joker, have died within Jump City. This has cause some within Gotham to take notice. One in particular is the Gentleman Ghost, aka Jim Craddock. He's planning to travel there, if he hasn't already done so, and investigate. He can summon spirits and I think those two are ones he would be particularly interested in. Slade could create robotic minions which were without par, while the neurotoxins the Joker made is frightening. By raising their spirits he can find out their secrets. Then there's the fact they would've told him about the guy who it seems can raise himself from the dead. Getting his flesh and blood body back is something the Gentleman Ghost has always wanted and will do *anything* to get, so this news would've excited him to no end._

_What little I do know tells me that you had all better hope you're virgins. They can't be hurt by ghosts, thought the Gentleman Ghost can still wield a gun and shoot them. Then again, it seems they can't touch him either. Also, rumor has it only those of royal blood can hurt him, though that's difficult to do and he can't be killed. Energy can also sometimes cause him pain. That's all I know. Hope it helps._

_I'm staying with Red, and now that my mind is working right it's fun. Actually more fun that I ever thought it could be. Wink. Wink. Any time you're in Gotham please drop by._

_Your Friend (I hope),_

_Harley Quinn._

_P.S. I forgot. You can't drop by because you don't know where I live, and Red certainly wouldn't like it if I gave that information out. Hrm. Oh well, if you do come to Gotham I'll probably know and will call. Maybe it would be okay for us to met someplace?_

* * *

"Wink wink?" Starfire asked, looking puzzled.

There was a long pause as the others tried to figure out how to explain it to her.

"It just means she's having a lot of fun, Star." Beast Boy said, looking thoughtful. He glanced over at Raven with a questioning look in his eyes.

_Wonder what he's thinking? _The girl mused.

'He's wondering if you're a virgin.' Knowledge answered.

_Wha...! Why?_

'Because none of the others are, silly.' Rage pointed out.

_Oh. _The half-demon girl found herself blushing.

'I do not think it matters too much to him in any way other than it would help protect you against this Gentleman Ghost.' Affection spoke.

Robin rushed back in the room. "I think we might have a name." He told them.

"Would it be by chance the Gentleman Ghost?" Raven intoned impassively.

"Yeah. How did..."

"Real name of Jim Craddock." Cyborg put in, clearly enjoying the baffled look on their leader's face.

"Yeah. How did..."

"Can summon ghosts." Beast Boy added with a frown before continuing. "Who, by the way, can't hurt virgins."

'Yeah. But how did ..."

"So." Raven intoned. "Since the ghost of Slade hurt both you and Cyborg I'm guessing that means ..." She let her voice trail off.

"Don't forget Star. She got her nose pretty much shattered." Beast Boy pointed out.

Seeing the red faces on the three outed Titans Raven almost sighed. "We don't mean to pry." She explained. "But if that's who we're fighting then it's important to know for sure that Beast Boy and I are the only ones he can't hurt. At least not without wielding a weapon." She turned to look at the boy. "Unless there's something I don't know."

"Sad to say, unless he wields a gun he won't be hurting me." The shape shifter replied with a sigh.

"There was someone I knew what seems like long ago." Robin said, turning to face Starfire.

"Princesses of Tamaran are not supposed to be touched, but our emotions run high and my guardian ignored the few times I left the Citadel." The orange-skinned girl explained, obviously not caring about the past. "I only care about the here and now."

Boy Wonder sighed in relief. "How did you know?" He finally asked, and took the letter the redheaded Tamaranean handed him.

"Oh." He said after reading it. "Good to know she's doing okay."

"Energy and royalty." The shape shifter said, getting down to tactics. "That must be why Starfire's starbolts sort of hurt them, though they did no real damage."

"The bolts I used were mainly solidified." The girl explained. "There was only a trace of energy left on them. Next time I will know to use just plain starbolts."

"That's one weapon we have against him then." The boy commented as he turn to Raven. "What did you hit Slade and the Joker with?"

"Fragments of my soul. I guess you could think of it as a form of pure energy." She intoned.

"Whatever it was, it was effective." He looked at her thoughtfully. "Given Trigon is the manifestation of pure evil it sort of makes him royalty, and since you're his daughter..."

"Then I'm royalty?" She raised an eyebrow.

"You said it. Not me." He smiled at her.

"Hrmph." The half-demon girl snorted, with her heart racing as she saw the sincere smile that framed his beautiful green eyes. In them she could only see love that was meant for her and her alone. _I'm lucky. _She sighed happily before continuing. "But how could I've hurt Slade and the Joker since I'm a ... hmmm... You know."

Beast Boy frowned in thought. "Perhaps it means you can't physically touch ghosts, like I couldn't touch then either. Or maybe since you used soul energy, or whatever, it was special. If it was made of the same stuff as he is it might've been like one ghost touching another." The boy shrugged. "At least it's effective. Very very effective it seems according to the last two you blasted with it."

The violet-eyed girl nodded, deep in thought.

"So we find him and have the two ladies blast him?" Cyborg asked. "My sonic cannon is a form of energy, but obviously not the kind that can hurt ghosts. And trust me, I'm not royalty."

"Nor am I." Robin admitted. "But can't you modify something so it's an energy weapon?" He asked, turning to Cyborg.

"I'll try, but it'll take time."

"Until we find out where he's at, and what he up to, then work on it." The teen ordered.

"Aye sir." The cybernetic teen replied.

"Don't call me sir." Came the prompt reply.

"Okay. Mr. Streaker Sir." The titanium-clad jester joked.

Blushing, Boy Wonder ground his teeth together. "There was still a sir in that sentence." He pointed out, though he smiled a moment later.

"Would it not be fun if we could visit Harley Quinn?" Starfire spoke with anticipation. "Then all of us could have a lot of fun together." The redhead winked twice at them.

"Fun? All Together?" Robin asked, frowning. "Do you know what she's suggesting by those winks?" Boy Wonder asked.

"That she is having a of fun." The Tamaran promptly spoke with a smile.

"Oh." The boy frowned before replying. "I guess you could say that's the case." He admitted with a red face.

* * *

An hour later they got a CD in the mail. It seemed the Gentleman Ghost had picked the Joker's method of delivering messages, albeit without the neurotoxin.

_"Greeting to the valiant defenders of Jump City." The transparent figure of a man spoke. "My name, in case you don't already know, is the Gentleman Ghost. In talking with some spirits who have had the misfortune to cross paths with you I've discovered that one of you has the power to transcend death. Kill him and he lives. Cut off his head and still death does not claim him. To one such as myself who has long since sought a way to restore myself to a corporeal form this is most interesting._

_"I will bargain with you." The calm looking figure on the screen suggested. "I know the one called Robin is willing to give his life to save a school, but now I wonder if the one called Beast Boy is willing to do the same to protect this city. If he is willing to submit to me and allow me to discover his method of resurrection, then the ten-kiloton bomb I've planted within the most densely populated part of Jump City will not explode. If he doesn't then hundreds of thousands will die. The choice is his to make. Be at the Colosseum at twelve noon tomorrow."_

_"I, the Gentleman Ghost, eagerly await your reply." The villain took a bow and the picture faded._

"Another nutcase." Raven intoned. "You're not going." She adamantly informed Beast Boy as she turned to look at him. "He's probably as crazy as the Joker and will set the bomb off anyway. There's no point in trying to meet his demands."

"Sorry." The changeling replied, gazing at her regretfully. "But if it's our only chance then I'll have to go." Seeing her frown he continued. "But that bomb can't be small, and we know it's in a place with a lot of people. We'll probably find it no problem."

'The Ghost must die.' Rage firmly stated in her demonic tone.

'Death to the Ghost.' Happy agreed viciously.

'It's the simplest solution.' Knowledge solemnly intoned.

'All's fair in love and war.' Affection murmured. 'And this is both.'

'We're going to kill a Ghost and save Beastie.' Brave whooped.

"We must protect Beastie.' Timid agreed in a barely heard whisper.

'Let's rip off his arms and legs. Very Slowly.' Rude suggested viciously.

'He has to die.' Sloth sighed. 'He's making us work and I hate that.'

_Bloodthirsty lot, the whole bunch of you. _Raven silently muttered. _But guess what, if he hurts my boyfriend he is NOT going to die._

'What?' Rage demanded, sounding more demonic and pissed than usual.

_If he's dead then he's not suffering. _The violet-haired girl pointed out. _I think instead I'll just open a portal to where Trigon is whimpering over his wounds and toss him in there._

'Oh.' The red-class emoticlone of evil replied. 'That might be fun. But only if we do it without Beastie dying.'

* * *

The team set to work. It was easy for Cyborg to modify the sensors on the T-ship modules to be more sensitive to radiation. Technically they were already quite adept at detecting those frequencies, but by neglecting things like thermal energy he was able to fine tune them for detecting the gamma rays a nuclear bomb would be emitting.

That done, he went to help Robin who was studying a map of the city. The Gentleman Ghost had been quite specific when he said hundreds of thousands would die, and they were trying to determine just where the bomb would have to be to do that sort of damage. The problem was that Jump City was divided up in hundreds of sections. There were residential areas next to industrial sectors. Places devoted to commerce were scattered throughout. Ten kilotons of explosives was a lot, but there was still no place where it could do the damage the villain claimed it would.

"Secondary damage?" Starfire suggested with a far-a-way look in her eyes. "Even a small bomb can kill a lot of people if it damages something like a chemical plant."

They reset the parameters and redid the search. A few places came up with over a hundred-thousand casualties and the T-ship modules were sent to scan them. The results were all negative. There wasn't anything there that could cause that large of an explosion.

"It has to be somewhere.' Robin fumed. "Unless it doesn't really exist."

"We can't assume that." Beast Boy replied, looking a little pale. "I wonder what sort of experiments he wants to do."

"Duh!" Raven said sarcastically in a tone mixed with anguish. "According to him you can survived death right? So what do you think he's going to do?" She growled in a voice that spoke more of pain than anger.

"Kill me." The boy gulped.

"Right." The girl screamed at him. "So DON'T go IDIOT!" The green-skinned boy looked at her sadly, and she took a step back. "Sorry." She whispered with tears running down her cheeks. Unable to control her emotions the lights in the ceiling exploded while the windows shattered, and even the steel walls trembled. The next thing she knew she was in his arms, and the magic reigned itself in.

"I won't lie." He whispered in her ear, and he felt a shudder run through her. "I don't know if it'll be okay, it might not be. But I'm glad that regardless of whatever happen I knew you and got to love you."

She closed her own arms around him, and cried on his shoulder. Around them, in this place where she was accepted, the rest of the team acted as if nothing had happened.

"You will be at the Colosseum rather than watching the game on the television set." Starfire spoke a while later. "So many people. More than there exists in the Citadel on Tamaran. It will be weird to be there in such a crowd."

Robin blinked. "How many does the Colosseum sit?" He asked, looking as Cyborg.

"It's one of the largest stadiums in North America. It can seat up to ..." The teen paused before continuing. "Three hundred thousand." He gulped, eyes widening.

"That's it." The leader exclaimed. "If Beast Boy doesn't show up tomorrow then the people who will be attending the game will ..." The boy let his voice trail off, not needing to continue.

"I'll send one of the T-ship modules to check it out." The titanium-clad Titan replied, all business.

Less than two minutes later they had their answer. Within the center of the stadium field there was a distinct source of gamma radiation. Hidden below several feet of dirt it was faint, but distinctly there.

* * *

"If he sets that off with us here?" Raven intoned apathetically, looking out across the vast playing field.

"I know." Robin gulped.

"Don't say it." Cyborg said, looking at her. "You'll jinx us all."

"Still though, better with us here than with us here along with three hundred thousand people." Robin sighed, looking a little pale. He glanced at Starfire, obviously wanting to tell her to leave. Swallowing, he remained quiet.

"So what do we do?" Raven asked.

'At least we would die with Beastie.' Rage intone fatalistically.

'Would life be worth it without him?' Knowledge wondered.

'It would be. But it would take us a long time to heal.' Affection decided. 'A very long time. So let's make sure nothing happens to him.'

'I don't know.' Happy countered. 'No one makes us smile like he does. Could anyone else ever make us feel as good?'

_Quiet. _The violet-eyed girl ordered. _I need to think, and not listen to you chatter like a bunch of old ladies._

'Old ladies? Us?' The red-clad emoticlone definitely didn't like that.

_Yes you. Now shut up! _Raven ordered.

"You have any idea how to disarm something like that?" Robin asked, looking at Cyborg.

"I looked it up on the computer before we came here." The teen replied, not sounding very confident.

"Oh." Boy Wonder, along with the rest of the team gulped nervously.

"Don't worry." The cybernetic teen added. "If I can build a tower from a crashed alien spaceship I can do anything." There was a long pause. "I think."

"Let's check it out." Raven intoned. "Waiting isn't going to help."

"Pretty crude." Cyborg informed them ten minutes later. "According to sensors its six feet under and weighs around ten tons. I heard the field was getting some work done, so I'm guessing that's when he had it buried here." The boy gulped. "He certainly didn't just drop by last night and put it there, and I don't see any way to disarm it."

"Six feet under." A voice behind then mused, apparently finding the thought funny. "I thought it was a fitting number since when it goes off there's going to be one whole mess of folks who'll be resting six feet under."

The team spun around to find a man dressed in an old fashion suit with a cape. His head was nowhere to be seen, though a hat sat above the rest of his outfit suggesting it actually was there. In his hands there was a plain wooden cane.

"The Gentleman Ghost, I presume." Robin needlessly queried.

"At your service." The spectre took a small bow. "It's not noon, so I assume you're turning down my more than generous offer?" The figure sighed. "I had hoped you would accept it, yet I can't really say that I'm surprised."

"You would've set the bomb off anyway." Raven spoke in an icy tone.

"Maybe, maybe not." There was a sense that the man was smiling, though nothing could be seen. "If you're thinking of attacking me then remember I can still set it off. It might not kill as many as I'd planned, but it'll burst through the walls of this place and kill ten thousand or more."

"With you here?" The violet-haired girl asked, as her hands flickered with dark energy.

"With me here." The villain agreed. "In case you haven't figured it out, I'm a ghost and can't die. It wouldn't hurt me, and even if it could I would just teleport away." There was a flash of purplish light, as the figured seemed to move instantaneously from where was standing to more than thirty feet away.

The half-demon growled as she struggled to control her powers. To lash out and destroy this threat to the one she loved. Yet, in the end, she had no choice but to reign in the dark magic and hope for a better chance. "What are you going to do with him?" She asked.

"With the one who cannot die? Nothing but find out the manner in which he can resurrect himself. It's something I am terribly interested in."

"Why? You're immortal." Robin stated. "Why would you want to be human again?"

The whole group took a step back as the decaying head of the Gentleman Ghost appeared. Greyish and wrinkled, with holes showing through the flesh, it was the appearance of a corpse many weeks old.

"The pleasures of the flesh are many, and they are denied to me. Of course I want to be human again."

"Oh." Robin gulped.

"He cannot die. What harm is there in my doing a little testing? Of course he could just come out and tell me how he does it. I'm reasonable." The figure stated casually. "The price if he doesn't is the death of many who would stay dead forever."

"I can't resurrect myself." Beast Boy countered. "The Joker was wrong. Kill me and I'm dead."

"Excuse if I seem a bit rude." The Gentleman Ghost replied. "But I since I'm pretty sure they weren't lying, I'll take their word over yours. I'm the one who summoned them so they had to tell me the truth."

"They made a mistake." The green-skinned boy replied. "Happens to everyone. Now that it's explained we'll just disarm the ..."

"I don't think so." The ravaged remains of the gruesome face twisted up in a horrifying smile. "I'll check myself just to be sure. I have nothing to lose by doing so, and everything to gain." The decaying figure stated.

"Trust me." Raven growled. "Dead or not dead, I don't care, but you do have something to lose."

The man shrugged. "That's never been the case before. Now on with the experiment. I want to see you die." The Gentleman Ghost turned towards Beast Boy. "So kill yourself here and now, right before my eyes, or there'll be tens of thousands of dead people on your conscience." There was a pause. "Assuming you're alive afterwards that is to have a conscience. Anyway, that's not my problem. Choose any method you like. I'll give you two minutes to say good-bye just in case you really can't transcend death."

The violet-eyed girl trembled, wanting nothing more than to take her family and get them out of here. To simply encompass them in her dark embrace and teleport them to some place far away. Yet she knew to do so would cause her boyfriend to feel a guilt that would burden him for the rest of his life; he wasn't the sort who could just stand by and let others die in his place. Slowly, as she watched him with tear filled eyes, she calmed herself. "Don't" She begged in a voice too low for anyone but her to hear.

"There's no one in the Colosseum now but us." The boy spoke to Robin, who was the one who knew the most about explosives. "Would it really smash through the walls and kill those outside."

"I think so." Then teen reluctantly admitted. "Ten thousands tons of TNT will make one pretty big bang."

The changeling turned to look at the girl who held his heart. "I love you." He simply stated as he held her. "I did from the moment I saw you. I could smell the fear and sorrow on you back then, yet you stayed to help Starfire. So brave and courageous. So incredibly amazing."

Within her heart the girl wanted nothing more than to ask him one last time. To plead and beg him not to die, yet she held the need within her, refusing to give it expression. If she were to do that then he would listen, but he would also never be the same. "I love you." She whispered back, clutching him tightly in her arms.

"Take the others and go." The boy, who was trembling as well, ordered. "Make sure they're safe. I really don't trust him to keep his word."

Backing off, she nodded as she rubbed the tears from her eyes only to have more take their place. "Okay." She whispered. Reaching out the violet-eyed girl cast her dark power over three of her precious friends, though not the one she loved the most. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" She exclaimed as she became a spirit and took them with her.

"Where are they?" The Gentleman Ghost demanded, suddenly appearing more alert.

"They're safe. You have me, so what more do you want?" Beast Boy exclaimed.

The villain backed of. "Die." He commanded, calling a cane from some unknown place with a purple flash of light. "Now, or I'll do it myself."

The shape shifter looked at the cane, deciding it didn't look too impressive. "What's that?" He asked.

"A weapon. Now choose." The voice hinted that further delays wouldn't be tolerated.

"I choose that." The Titan pointed at the ordinary wooden cane. "Might as well get to see what it does."

The Gentleman Ghost laughed. "You're about to die and you're still standing. Not even a sign of a whimper." He took a small bow. "I agree with Slade. Despite appearance, you're a man." That said he raised the weapon and a purple flash of energy flew from him to strike the changeling.

Beast Boy looked down, having felt nothing but a sort of cold tingling sensation. Eyebrows raised, he peered at the ghost.

"A man, but a virgin it seems." The old highwayman laughed again.

"Is everyone going to figure that out?" The embarrassed boy sighed. "Not that it matters I guess since in a few minutes I'll be ..." He turned paled and gulped.

"Seems you'll have to do the honors." The grisly countenance of the ancient highwayman laughed again.

The boy gulped as he saw the horrendous face of the decaying figure move, expressing pure evil like something out of a horror movie. _If I live I think I'm staying away from those types of moves for a while. _The teen decided. _Perhaps Disney romances would be nice. The sort Starfire always picks._

"So choose." The villain stated. "I want to see you transcend death." He shook his head, and it was almost as if his flesh was falling from it to hit the ground where the gruesome bits of skin seemed to fade. "Enough waiting" The Gentleman Ghost suddenly decided. A black remote appeared in his hand and a button was pressed.

_Damn! _Beast Boy remarked to himself in words he rarely even thought of, let alone used. Instinctively he sought some way to stop the explosion but in the split second he had the shape shifter knew it was useless. That left only one other option, to suppress it so it didn't do any damage. Hoping to at least reduce the damage a little, to save a few of the many who were about to die, the changeling became the giant octopus he'd once help rescue off the coast of Steel City.

The explosion slammed up through the soil it was embedded in as if it was the fury of an enraged god, and prepared to send its wrath outward to wreck the largest disaster Jump City had ever known on its hapless citizens. However the plasma of the shockwave first encountered the massive form of a two-thousand ton sea creature never designed for the land. As obstacles went it was a minor one to the ten kiloton device which converted the flesh of the poor animal into so much plasma as well. That done it then reached out towards the walls of the Colosseum. Never designed to contain a nuclear blast it should've shattered beneath the vengeful onslaught that fell upon it and sent debn hurtling outward to kill and maim people by the tens of thousands. It should've, but however effortless the blast had converted two-thousand tons of flesh to plasma it'd still taken energy. In fact it'd taken just enough to allow the walls to hold. Inside the Colosseum there was nothing but destruction, while outside only a few bricks had broken loose, harming no one.

* * *

The violet-eyed girl stared in disbelief. She'd planned to get the others to safety and come back. In her mind there'd been only one place for her, and that was beside her boyfriend. But the sky had lit up with a great fireball, and the Colosseum was now nothing but a ruin. Of Beast Boy there wasn't a sign. From her position two hundred feet above the devastation she watched, not knowing what to do. Only someone like superman could've survived an explosion like that, and for all she loved him her boyfriend was not the man of steel; all his shapes were just flesh and blood.

Filled with despair she reached out, letting her empathic senses roam the area as she sought the one person she knew she wouldn't find. The boy with the green eyes who'd treated her as something special despite the fact she was a half-demon whose destiny had been to release Trigon, and bring about the end of all things mortal. Within her all her emoticlones were silent, even Rage. Then her senses found something, and as one they reacted.

The Gentleman Ghost was standing on the ground, talking to himself. "Seems he's gone. And I'd so hoped ..." He sighed and turned around. Seeing the girl he stopped. "Seems I was wrong. Oh well, there will be other chances."

"For you there will be none." The half-demon growled.

"Of course there will be." A cane appeared in his hand, followed by a burst of purple light.

Raven looked down, seeing that the attack had done no harm.

The highwayman laughed. "You're a virgin too. There's no way you can harm me." He turned to leave.

The two eyes of the girl became four as they started to glow an angry red, while darkness enveloped her as she grew to a height of fifteen feet. On her forehead her gemstone became a fifth eye with a center that appeared to be a hole in the fabric of space itself surrounded by a dark bloodish-red color. A towering column of blackness she was nothing like the white Raven that'd stopped Trigon. Then she'd been acting out of love with a pure felt need to protect her friends. Now Rage burned inside her and all her emoticlones, including the central one called Raven, had allied themselves with that red-clad aspect of darkness. In this form she was fully a demon. Tendrils of pure black reached out and grabbed the focus of her hate around the ankles.

"What?" Came an exclamation of surprise. "Why can't I teleport?" The suddenly not so calm ghost demanded as he stared in disbelief at the figure who stood before him.

"There can be no escape. Where you can go I can follow, across space or across dimensions." Rumbled the demonic form of Rage in a voice that spoke of eternal vengeance. "Know mortal." She continued. "I am the all-knowing and all-powerful daughter of Trigon the Terrible, and for you I have the perfect place." The towering figure tilted its head and grinned, showing fangs. "A prison of eternal torment which you shall never leave, but worry not for there shall one there to keep you company." The demon smiled and the decaying form of the man once known as Jim Craddock cowered as he frantically struggled to get loose.

When her prey cast more of his spectral energy at her Rage laughed a demonic roar that thundered throughout the ruins. "I am the daughter of a god while you were born of mortal flesh. Do you think you can harm me?" She mocked him, needing to torment the helpless soul before she cast him into his final reward.

"Of a god?" The desperate man stuttered in fright. "Why didn't Slade or the Joker tell me?"

"How would the Joker know? As for Slade. If you dared to try to control him then this is his punishment for you." Effortlessly the demonic being poured more of the dark power of her soul into the tendrils she'd wrapped around her accursed prey. His spectral flesh sizzled as it burned, causing him to shriek in pain. "Dead or not dead, I did warn you that you had something to lose." The hate filled voice was a howl that shattered the few remnants of stone around the tall form that was composed of pure fury. "Let's start with your flesh, whether it be human or spectral." The insanely grinning figure decided.

For long minutes there was nothing but howls of agony that spoke of more than flesh being torn from bones, as the demon created knives made from her very essence, and slowly sliced into the soul of the pain-ridden villain who'd believed himself beyond the touch of anyone. There were no pleas for mercy for that required conscious though, and he knew only unbearable torment. Finally the sharp-edged blades stopped, leaving behind nothing but a skeleton that sobbed pitifully on the ground, still held in place by black tendrils of the demon's soul.

"You have much to lose, foul beast." The heart-broken aspect of Rage roared in a voice that actually cause several of the skeleton's bone to shatter. "I will show you your new home. Be warned for Trigon the Terrible lives there and I am sure he will make you most welcome." The demon howled gleefully at the thought of the torment that was to come for the one who had killed their Beastie. The boy who'd looked upon all her aspects with kindness and love in his eyes. Even her, the dark one.

"Rage? That's you isn't it?" A daze voice asked without the slightest hint of fear. "Not your best look, but I must say it's pretty impressive."

Silence reigned in the shattered remains of the Colosseum as both the skull of the now Gentleman Skeleton and Rage turned to look at the green-skinned Titan who was rubbing his head as if confused.

"Beastie?" The demon asked, not believing what she saw.

"Is that what you call me?" Beast Boy asked with a slight grin. "If anyone else was to call me that I would get angry, but so long as it's you then it's okay." His eyes peered up into hers, not flinching. From them came pure love.

The tendrils of dark energy retreated into the towering figure which shrank. The five eyes became four, which then became two very beautiful violet ones. Hair of the same color once again framed her stunningly attractive features. On her face there was still disbelief. "How?" She asked, reaching out to touch his very real form. "How?" The girl repeated.

Beast Boy slowly looked around. "What happened here?" He asked, still slightly dazed. "One second the bad guy was pushing a button, and the next I'm here with the whole place trashed." The boy paused for a moment. "You know, I'm really glad the city doesn't make us clean up the messes we make. This would take forever." He shook his head again as he continued to peer around.

"It is you." Raven exclaimed as she rushed into the arms which gladly accepted her.

"It's me, but please don't tell me I died again." Beast Boy replied, enjoying the feeling of having the girl he loved above all else safely wrapped in his embrace.

"Whatever." She murmured into the shoulder of her boyfriend. "Whatever." She held back the tear and just hugged him tighter.

* * *

End of Chapter.

And Beast Boy rises from the dead again.

Many thanks to those who read and review


	18. Chapter 18

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_Sorry this chapter took so long. I have no excuse. :(_

_Phrase: 'Pretium solveretur.' Latin for: 'The price must be paid.' _

_Phrase: 'Pretium.' Latin for: 'The price.'_

_Phrase: 'Anni vitae.' Latin for. 'A year of my life.'_

_As for what happens to the Gentleman Ghost, read and see._

_Some of the action scenes may be over the top, but I guess that's the way I like them. Nothing more than a personal preference. To those who find them a bit extreme I hope the story still has its moments and is enjoyable._

_Times: A few hours later._

* * *

_**Clean up,... A Game of Chess,... A Game of Chest,... The Reaper of Reapers,... A Late Night Talk,...**_

It took a few hours to get things moving. First the rest of the team had to be called back while the authorities had to be informed that someone had exploded a ten-kiloton nuclear bomb in their nice clean city. That last part no one wanted to do, with even Boy Wonder cringing from the task. He'd tried to order Cyborg to handle it, but the titanium-clad titan had adamantly refused. One would've thought emergency workers would've come running at the not so minor bang to investigate, but no one on the team blamed them for deciding to stay away. Villains were always doing something not so nice in Jump City, and coming to see what was going on wasn't always the safest thing to do. Doing that was the job of the Titans who would then notify the appropriate people.

In the meanwhile the Gentleman Ghost had silently sat staring at Beast Boy. "So close." He would sometimes utter in a low whisper. However, without his flesh, the term ghost was no longer appropriate. The supernaturally-sharp knives forged from the enraged demon's astral energy had sliced the spectral flesh from the villain's body leaving not a shred of his ethereal energy behind. Normally such a being would heal such wounds with relative ease, but with not a speck of the ghostly flesh left there was nothing for it to regenerate from. That meant the Gentleman Ghost was now more of a Gentleman Skeleton.

The violet-eyed girl, with her hand gently resting in that of her boyfriend's, gazed at the villain she'd mutilated knowing she might've gone too far. Even for a spirit such as the villain one's power came from the body, whether it be flesh and blood or spectral energy, and she'd denied him access to a lot of his abilities by what she'd done. No longer would he be able to teleport or walk through walls. In fact he was pretty much just an animated skeleton now, albeit one that could walk and talk.

'No. Now he can't hurt Beastie.' Rage pointed out as if to a child. 'This is good.'

'She has a point.' Knowledge said, agreeing with the red-clad emoticlone of evil.

'Keep Beastie safe.' A whimper came from Timid who was adamant on that one thing.

'Things are good now.' Happy gleefully sang, being overjoyed, as they all were, at the resurrection of Beast Boy again.

"At least the bomb was a clean one." Cyborg announced, sounding puzzled.

"Strange." Robin mused. "Why use a clean bomb when he wanted to kill people." He turned to look at the Gentleman Skeleton.

"Couldn't get my hands on much enriched uranium or plutonium so I had to make do with deuterium." The forlorn figure told them. "I had capacitors charging from the city's power supply to ignite it."

"Oh." The cybernetic teen gave a sigh of relief. "That makes sense, and it's good for us. If it'd been a dirty bomb we would've been in deep trouble." He paused. "As in having to evacuate a large part of the city."

"Excellent." Boy Wonder grinned.

"Still going to have to tear the Colosseum down and pave it over." Beast Boy pointed out. "Even a clean bomb leaves some radiation and this whole area will need three feet of concrete to be completely safe." The green-skinned Titan paused. "Wow, but that's going to make one insanely gigantic parking lot for something." He shook his head. "And I though the parking lot for this area was huge before."

"Nothing needs that much parking space." Cyborg agreed. "Too bad about that giant octopus though. It would've come in handy the next time we face Triton."

"Oh. It's still there." The changeling replied, frowning slightly. "Though there's another snake form that's missing. I guess I don't lose whatever animal form I die in." The pale-faced boy gulped as he mentioned dying before continuing. "However it seems I do lose something, though it seems I can somehow choose to sacrifice an animal that isn't important. I have hundred of similar snake forms so losing one is no big deal."

* * *

"Wonder who'll be next?" The violet-eyed girl mused, moving a chess piece.

"Huh?" Beast Boy asked, eyes focused on the game where he was being soundly trashed within an inch of his life.

"What villain will show up next? If Slade and the Joker dying got their interest then what happened to the Gentleman Skeleton certainly will."

"I think what happened to him will serve as a very dire warning for them to stay away." The boy shrugged, still focused on the chess board. "Notice how the smaller villains like Adonis and Billy Numerous haven't shown their faces lately. I would say they're packing and leaving town. No one wants to end up like that."

'Yay. We kicked but!' Brave and Rage chirped in, sounding bloodthirsty.

Raven shrugged with a sigh, ignoring the outburst of the two emoticlones. "I did go too far didn't I?" The girl gulped and looked away.

"If I had the power to do something like that, then I would've done worse if it was you who'd died." The words were spoken without emphasis, making them all the more potent.

"Oh." Reaching out the consoled half-demon made a move. "Check." She called out with a grin.

"Hrm." The boy's faced screwed up in an expression of total concentration. Tentatively he tried to evade check-make.

"Check." Came the same dreaded word ten seconds later.

"I feel like a dog with my tail between my legs running like this." Beast Boy admitted as he tried to evade the trap she'd carefully planned and set for him.

"Check-mate." The girl's voice held a tiny hint of satisfaction.

"Yep. I'm toast." The boy knocked his king over.

"And I do declare that the victor gets a massage." The happy violet-haired girl decided, almost giggling.

"You get one each night, win or lose." The shape shifter pointed out with a smile.

"True." Rising she placed her cloak to one side and settled down for what was pure bliss. As his hands went to work she sighed and smiled. _Lucky me! _She told herself as she relaxed.

'Hmmm.' The red-clad emoticlone of evil sighed in contentment as well, followed by the rest of her cohorts.

'You have another side too.' Rage pointed out hopefully.

It took the girl some time to figure out what the emoticlone meant. _No! _She mentally screamed. _Not yet._

'When then?' Came the immediately reply in a demonic tone.

_I don't know. _She admitted.

'Now would be a good time.' Happy suggested. "I'm sure it would feel really good.'

_Quiet! _Raven told them with a gulp, knowing that the emoticlone of happiness was right; it would feel good.

'Could always suggest a game of strip chess.' Knowledge mused. 'He'd be so distracted you would win easily.'

_That wouldn't be playing fair. _The violet-haired girl pointed out. _And if I lost ... _She gulped.

'If you lost then that would be one turned-on Beastie.' Happy giggled.

'For sure.' Knowledge agreed.

'Let's try it.' Rage urged.

_No! _Raven gulped, wanting to listen to them. Within her something ached to do just that. A need so powerful it sent a shudder through her whole body.

"You okay?" Beast Boy asked with his hands still working on her neck and back.

"I am." The girl intoned.

The hands continued to work, and during each second the bliss and the need within the girl grew.

'Do it.' A strange voice commanded.

_Who? _Raven pondered, wondering if a new emoticlone had appeared. _But that would be impossible. _She mused, puzzled and a little worried.

'More.' The voice commanded again, with the tiniest hint of a demonic tone.

_Rage? _The girl asked.

'Me.' It admitted. 'More.' It demanded in a lust filled plea that the girl found almost impossible to resist.

_What? _She was still confused.

'Lust is one of the deadly sins, so it got tossed in with me.' The red-clad emoticlone of evil explained. 'Right now that's what's dominate within me. More.'

_Oh. _That she understood. There was more than one aspect to each emoticlone. Brave wasn't just courage, she was chivalry. Timid wasn't just fear, she was caution.

As the violet-eyed girl envisioned in her mind what they could do she felt a need that denied all reason. _None of the others are virgins. _She noted. _Why should we be the only two?_ The girl gulped. _I want this. I really really do._

"You're good with the back." Raven spoke in a voice that sounded strange.

"Thanks." Beast Boy gulped. It was bad enough to touch the smooth expanse of soft, delicate, skin of her back. But something in her voice ... He shook his head and focused on the task at hand.

"How are you with the front?" The violet-eyed half-demon asked in a sultry voice as she turned over. Her bright eyes peered up at him, filled with need.

The changeling gulped as he observed for the second time his girlfriend topless. His hands paused, as in a lust-filled shock he found himself at a lost as to what to do; his eyes never moved from the girl's breasts.

"Continue." She demanded, pulling his hands towards her and resting them on her stomach.

The shape shifter obeyed with his eyes flickering to her own beautiful violet ones and then back to the view she was presenting him with. _Oh wow. _He sighed. _Oh wow. _As he was rendered speechless.

Rage/Lust had been right. It was wonderful, and the girl moaned in pure bliss. _How did a half-demon like me ever get into heaven? _She wondered. Unable to control her impulses anymore she reached up and pulled him down.

For a while they kissed passionately as their hands roamed. For both it was sheer unadulterated bliss.

When Beast Boy touched the breasts of the girl he loved more than the world there was a sensation of ecstasy that overwhelmed him even as it confused him. _It's just my hands I'm using, so how could this feel so much like heaven? I didn't know touching anything could be so ... incredible. _He ran his hands over them, squeezing gently and was rewarded with a moan of pleasure from the girl who seemed to be as overcome with euphoria as he was. His excitement grew.

_Oh wow! _The girl silently sighed as her boyfriend played with her breasts. _This is ... There're no words to describe it. It's perfection and beyond such trivial things as language._ "Mmmm." She finally moaned aloud as his hands gently squeezed before they moved on to pay attention to her nipples. _Oh god! _The violet-eyed girl arched her chest in ecstasy, begging for more. "Mmmm." She moaned again.

'Stop.' A tiny voice whispered. "Please stop.'

Raven ignored the voice as pure rapture consumed her.

'No. Not yet.' The desperate voice came again.

_Timid? _Raven asked even as her mouth sought that of her boyfriend's and their tongue gleefully wrestled.

'Stop. Not now' The emoticlone of fear and caution spoke in a whisper that was nearly drowned out by the intensity of the emotions the half-demon was experiencing.

_Why? _Raven demanded along with all her other lust filled emoticlones.

'I'm afraid.' Came the reluctant answer.

'You're always afraid.' Rage/Lust pointed out. 'If we wait it will never happen.'

'Yes it will. I want it too. But not now.' The voice was louder and more insistent despite the tremor in it.

'When? In a hundred years?' The red-clad emoticlone of evil demanded.

'No. Soon.' Came the fearful reply.

Raven felt the hands leave her, and looked up to find Beast Boy gazing thoughtfully down at her.

"You're afraid." The changeling simply said.

"Just a little. Timid is frightened, but the rest of us want it." The girl replied, aching for his touch again.

"I want it too, but she's a part of you. When she's ready, then it'll be time." Beast Boy gulped as he forced his gaze from her perfectly formed body least he give into his own lustful needs.

Raven sat up and pulled her leotard back up with a sigh. _Sorry Timid. _She silently intoned.

'It's okay. Not now, but soon.' Came the more confident answer. 'I'm sorry too. I know how much you wanted to.'

The girl frowned. There was something different about the emoticlone now, though she couldn't put her finger on it.

'I needed to make sure we had control. That we could say no as well as yes.' The grey-clad aspect explained. 'I'm sorry. Next time it will be okay. I love him as much as you do, and now I'm ready to trust him as well.'

_Oh. _Raven replied. _You were afraid it would be like with Aqualad? That we would have no control?_

'Sorry.' Came the response. 'I know it was silly, but I needed to be sure. Thought now I see that he accepts me as a part of who you are as well, and that he will listen to me even when I'm too afraid speak. That he will sense that I am here and understand.' There was a long pause. 'Tomorrow night suggest strip chess.' The emoticlone of timidness suggested. 'It's okay now. It'll be good and I'll be ready then. But you might want to discuss birth control before letting things get out of hand.'

Raven gulped. _Birth control. _She didn't even know if a half-demon like her could get pregnant. It was something she would have to look into.

"Sorry." The girl mumbled, not able to meet her boyfriend's gaze.

"For what? Because Timid isn't ready?" Beast Boy shrugged. "There's no rush. I just want the moment to be right."

"Oh." Raven looked around and her eyes came across the books she'd brought with her. She'd planned to give them to him after the chess game but ... The girl sighed. "Here." She said, pushing them towards the shape shifter.

Beast Boy looked at them and even flipped through a few pages before looking up.

"If I'm right then you should be able to draw on the animal forms you have as if they were a battery." Raven explained. "It might allow you to cast self-enhancing spells other than the one Slade taught you, and maybe even some for healing. But you'll only be able to use them on yourself, and not on anyone else."

"Oh." The boy flipped through the pages again, still looking puzzled.

"Sorry, but you're going to have to learn some latin." Raven informed him with a smile.

"So what sort of spells are in here?"

"Astral armor." The girl replied. "It'll protect you from various things like fire and the cold, as well as some forms of magical attacks. It's useful."

"Sounds interesting." The boy admitted, still looking through the pages with a glazed look.

"I'm sure you'll pick up on the latin in no time."

'He will.' Rage and Knowledge agreed. 'Our Beastie is smart.'

"You should be able to use regeneration spells." Raven added. "Basically if you're injured you can spread the damage out among all your forms." She shrugged. "Given you got thousands of them I'm guessing you'll be able to heal anything short of instant death in seconds." She smiled at him. "And as we already know, death doesn't have much affect on you."

The changeling shuddered. "The regeneration will be awesome." He admitted. "But I would prefer if you didn't mention death. Who knows how or why or what the consequences might be. For all I know I made a deal with a demon like Trigon. I mean, he did keep Slade alive when his flesh was burned off." The boy shuddered again and turned pale.

"Doubt it." Raven shrugged. "Anyway, we'll find out tonight. I'm pretty well rested and I'll watch you in your dreams again. By tomorrow morning we'll have the answers."

"You sure it's safe?" Beast Boy asked in a worried tone.

"I am. Dreams can be real, but I know what to expect now. It's safe." She assured him.

* * *

_Sleep? _The exceedingly frustrated boy though with a sigh. _How the heck am I supposed to sleep? _So she could enter his dreams his girlfriend had curled up alongside him where he could now feel her snuggling against him, softly snoring in a very cute manner. Her bare legs were almost entwined with his own, creating an obvious affect on another part of his anatomy.

_Sleep!_ Beast Boy commanded as he tried to count sheep. Only problem was in his mind the fluffy white critters became elegant legs that made him drool, or lovely violet eyes that he wished he could gaze into forever. _Not going to work. _He admitted. _Not in a million years._

However, after a while he did manage to settle down and fell into a deep sleep with a vision of those eyes gazing into his. In his mind there was nothing more beautiful in the world, or any other, than those amazing orbs that sought to hide her feelings, yet allowed them to shine out. With that nothing else could ever hope to compare.

* * *

Slowly the half-demon girl saw her own dreams fade as once again she was drawn into those of her boyfriend.

_Pleasant. _Was the word she had for the scene before her. A young boy of seven or eight, with fair skin and dark hair, was fiddling with something that looked like a solar array while the man she'd seen before looked on. The climate felt and looked tropical. _Africa? _She wondered.

"Wrong connection, son. Remember to match colors."

"Sorry Dad. Do you know you got a lizard crawling on your head?" The boy's eyes were focused on his father.

Raven looked and gulped, Sure enough there was something small and green crawling through the man's hair.

"Jealous?" The man who she recalled was Mark teased his son. "I bet you want one too."

"Is it safe." The kid, who she knew was Beast Boy asked.

"They're harmless." Mark reached up and pulled the small animal free from his own hair and placed it on his son's.

"It tickles." The boy giggled.

"They eat small insects." The man explained. "Not sure why that one thought my head would be a good place to look."

"Maybe because you're long overdue for a bath." A woman's voice interrupted the two.

Raven could hear the laughter in the voice. Turning she saw the woman, Marie, was smiling at her husband and son.

"Isn't it set up yet?" Marie asked. "We need to get the batteries charged so we can power the lights for tonight. Gar has homework to do and he can't do it in the dark."

"So if I don't get this set up in time there's no homework?" The boy asked hopefully.

The woman laughed. "And no dessert either. So get to it."

"Ah man." The boy groaned, and began to work on the solar array under his father's guidance. Every once in a while he would giggle as the lizard crawled around on his head.

_A happy family. _Raven noted with a lump in her throat. It was everything she'd ever wanted as a kid. _It won't last. _The girl silently remarked to herself, recalling the nightmare the last time she'd visited her boyfriend's dreams.

'He would make a good father.' Knowledge mused. 'That is if he's anything like his own.'

'I think he would be.' Rage said, sounding lost in thought. 'Whatever happened between then and now he had good role-models.'

'I agree.' Happy added. 'You can tell from the way he treats us.'

'He would.' Timid spoke in a voice that was more confident than her usual tone. 'Strong, but kind.'

_Okay, Okay! _Raven interrupted. _He would make a good father, but right now that's not why we're here._

"Ready." The boy suddenly exclaimed as he looked at some readouts. "We're getting around three hundred watts. It'll be enough for the lights." His face turned up in a pout at the last part.

"Good." The woman grinned. "Look on the bright side, at least you'll get dessert."

"What're we having?"

"You mean for dessert? Chocolate pudding. It's the last we got before we get back to civilization so you're lucky you got the power working." His mother's voice was teasing, indicating he would've gotten his share no matter what.

"Mmmm." Garfield drool with a dreamy look on his face.

_He's so cute! _Raven couldn't help but mentally exclaim to her emoticlones who were in total agreement.

'Cute.' They chorused. 'That's our Beastie.'

Then, before the girl's horrified eyes, the scene of tranquility changed. The solar array was demolished as a gorilla raced out of the jungle, cutting its way through it in a straight line for the small family. To her astonishment, despite the sheer speed and ferocity of the assault, Mark moved almost as fast and threw the staff he was using as a walking stick between the feet of the charging animal, sending it crashing to the ground.

_No. Not it's not an animal. _Raven realized. _It's wielding a spear._

"Marie. Take Gar and run." The man ordered.

However the gorilla, who'd rolled to the ground, came to a stop beside the boy. His arms reached out and snagged him, dragging him closer. The ferocious creature sank his teeth into the child's tender flesh, ripping a small chunk of meat and muscle from the boy's shoulder.

_He lives. _Raven reminded herself. _I can't affect this, but I know he lives through this somehow. _Watching, her heart raced.

Showing that all his fighting spirit didn't come from whatever had changed him into Beast Boy, Garfield yelled in shock but allowed himself be pulled further into the grip of the rampaging animal. The pliers he'd been using to work on the solar array suddenly appeared in the animal's left eye, causing it to screamed a curse that Raven recognized as an actual language. It let the boy go as it reached for the offending object.

'Our Beastie was a fighter even as a boy.' Brave solemnly noted.

"Agreed.' Rage fumed. 'If only we could tear that animal apart.' She added in a growl that was echoed by the rest.

Marie grabbed her bleeding son and fled into the forest, while the man rose to give them time. Raven followed the woman who carried the boy who would grow into the man she loved. _Mark lives somehow too. _The violet-haired girl recalled. _He's there in the dream later on._

What followed was a thirty minute dash through bushes and trees, across terrain Raven thought would've given her a challenge if she'd been actually there, yet the woman never slowed. The jeep they eventually came to, obviously meant to travel on what one could hardly call a road was trashed.

For the while the woman stared, breathing hard with the boy clutched to her. "Don't suppose you know how to fix this?" She asked in a half jesting tone despite the situation.

"I doubt even dad would be able to fix that." The boy replied. "When will he get here?"

Marie was quiet as she tossed a worried look behind her.

"He will be okay? Won't he?" Garfield asked. "It had to be a mistake. We've lived close to gorillas before and they've never attacked. That one won't hurt him." He too turned pale and glanced worriedly back into the bushes. "But then none of the others ever used a spear." He added in a trembling voice.

"He'll be okay." The mother held her son. "He can handle any animal there is." She crouched down and looked at her son's shoulder. "We'll get some antibiotics on that and patch it up." She told him with a troubled smile. "When your father gets here we'll get ready and hike out. It's only a hundred miles."

"So long as dad is okay it'll be fun." The child decided, twisting his head to look at his shoulder. "It feels weird." He finally said.

"How so honey?" The woman gulped, suppressing the worry that lit up her eyes.

"It feels like the time I went to sleep to have that operation when I was a kid." He shrugged. "It doesn't hurt at all."

Now in an obvious panic the woman tore into the jeep, searching for medical supplies. Finding some she went to work on the boy.

"Sakutia." The woman uttered a short while later, trembling as tears escaped her eyes.

"Sakutia?" The boy asked.

"It'll be okay honey." The woman insisted, holding her son tightly.

* * *

Raven blinked as the scene before her flickered and changed. _His nightmare, his rules. _The violet-eyed girl noted with a swallow. She was now in a makeshift shelter along with Mark and Marie. There was nothing to tell her how he'd survived the attack. Garfield was on a cot of sorts looking sleepy _They would've had spare equipment in the jeep. _She realized.

"Don't go to sleep." The woman was urging her son, using a small needle to jab his arm whenever his eyes closed.

"So tired." Came the mumbled reply." Each time the needle slid into his flesh the small boy didn't even so much as twitch.

"It'll be okay." The woman obviously had her teeth tightly clenched to hold back the tears.

"It's our only hope." Mark said stone-faced, as he too sought to hold back his anguish. "It's not much, but it's all we got."

"We've tried it on over two hundred mice. Only one of them survived and it was changed." Marie replied with a shudder. The frantic woman closed her eyes and sobbed. "One chance in two hundred. It's better than zero. But all our samples are back in the lab."

"I brought some. I wanted to compare how the serum worked on the blood of the new gorilla species if we found it."

"Oh." The woman swallowed. "Do it." She commanded, reaching down to hold her son, no longer able to stop the outflow of tears.

In less than five minutes the man was injecting a huge syringe into the boy's chest.

"Whas tha?" The boy mumbled, unable to form the words properly.

"So much?" The woman asked.

"I added some adrenaline to help keep him awake." The boy's father replied in a sob. Reaching down, he held his son's hand.

The boy, who'd been nearly comatose until now suddenly screamed and started to thrash about.

"Sssh." The woman sobbed. "It'll be okay Gar. It'll be okay. We won't let anything bad happen to you." The woman held her son with an anguished cry of grief.

"I'll be by the jeep. If anything happens shout." Marie's husband said with his face twisted up in dread.

"Why?" It came out as a demand that asked how he could leave her at a time like this.

"Over seventy-eight percent of the mice died from heart failure. I need to rig up something in case that happens. To give him a chance." The man explained.

"Oh." The woman shuddered. "Hurry."

"I will." Her husband disappeared outside.

Raven silently watched, biting her lower lip until it bled.

'Our poor Beastie.' Rage howled in fury, futilely struggling against their helplessness.

'Beastie?' Timid simply said with anguish in her tone.

'My love.' Affection said in a tone beyond description.

Slowly, over the course of less than an hour, the boy's eyes started to turn green while his complexion changed.

_So this is how he gained his powers. _The violet-haired girl gulped, watching the transformation that was ripping her would be boyfriend apart as it changed him on a genetic level. _Oh Beast Boy. _Unseen, she wept along with the child's mother.

"Mark!" The woman screamed, suddenly letting the unconscious boy fall back on the bed. Her shaking hands moved to check his pulse. "Mark?" She screamed again.

_Not the same as last time. _Raven realized. _Either the dream isn't constant, or he came close to death more than once. _Heart pounding she watched.

"Mark?" Came the frantic cry again as the woman started CPR.

The girl froze for a brief instant, and then swiftly moved to stand to one side despite the desperate need to be near the one she loved. _He's dead. _She realized as she watched a grim reaper of souls appear. Glancing back and forth she kept her eyes on both her loved one and the deadly scythe that'd caused her so much pain the last time.

"Mark!" The woman cried, pushing on her dead son's chest and then breathing for him. His body remained still.

With dreadful fascination, knowing she was powerless, Raven watched the scythe that blazed with the brightness of a star rise, and then pitilessly plunge down to pierce the heart of the one she loved. On the dark face of the demigod of death a confuse looked appeared. Once again the weapon of the remorseless figure rose and fell, only for the look to turn to disbelief. The dark figure took a step and vanished.

_He followed Beast Boy into his Nevermore. _The girl realized as she automatically stepped forward and was somehow there too.

* * *

In the void that was her boyfriend's Nevermore there were only two people other than herself. The boy she loved, and the reaper of souls. Before her astonished eyes they moved faster than she could follow, with the boy running and the demigod chasing. _His realm, his rules. _The half-demon realized. _Here he has no physical form, and need only think of what he wants to do. But then if it were any other way he would already be dead. Nothing physical could hope to match a god. _The girl paused in thought. _For that matter, nothing not physical should be able to either. Strange. _Holding her breath, she watched.

For what seemed like forever the chase continued. The god was tireless, but the boy wasn't. Eventually the scythe rose and started to fall.

"No." The small figure who would one day be called Beast Boy screamed, denying what was about to happen. His trembling body that should've been held unmoving by the power of death rose to launch itself at the being whose sole purpose was to send the child to the realm that lay beyond life.

A kid, not even five feet tall, should've been powerless against the twelve-foot supernatural being, but as his hands grazed the darkness Beast Boy took on his first form. The shape of a demigod.

For a second the two stepped back. The boy in confusion and the god in disbelief. Then two scythes rose and clashed with a fury that forced the girl turn away least even in the dream the sheer power disrupt her soul once again. It was an impossible fight no mortal could've hoped to win, yet the dead child held his own.

_In the real world it would be over by now. _Raven realized. _He would be dead and gone ten thousand times over, but this isn't the real world. Here he can move as fast as thought. Even so, it's still impossible. _Eyes closed, only able to follow the battle from the blinding flashes of light that seemed to pierce her whole being, she gave it some thought even as she was frozen in awe.

_Fast as thought. _The answer came to her. _But what're his thoughts? It's to be faster than what he sees as the monster that's after him. Since that's what he wishes for then that's what's real here. _The violet-haired girl tilted her head to better shelter her eyes from the light of the two scythes clashing. _There's no reason for him to tire except that's what he expects. And he'll win because in his heart that's what he needs. His one true desire is to be back, safe and sound, with his mother and father. Death stands no chance._

Still the battle lasted for what seemed like forever. The grim reaper of souls had never been thwarted before, and the concept of having met its match came slowly to it. Eventually it stopped its attack to stand back in shock.

"Pretium solveretur." The defeated being stated as if in awe.

The boy tilted his head, apparently fully understanding the words. "Pretium." He slowly spoke, as if deep in thought. "Anni vitae?" He added, looking confused yet hopeful.

_It's as though in that form he understands the language. _Raven noted, realizing the Beast Boy had just offered a year of his own life as a price to satisfy the demands of the demigod of death. That dreadful being she knew required some sort of payment, else it would be forced to continue the fight. And i_t's fair. _The girl reluctantly admitted. _By offering a single year he gets the rest of his life back._

Before her eyes the view of her boyfriend's Nevermore changed. The shape of a demigod took shape below, surrounded by a shield that pulsed darkly with just a hint of green. Above them, ruling over the solitary creature, there appeared the form of the shape shifter.

_That's how he can be resurrected. _Raven gulped. _His real form to him is nothing more than just another shape, albeit the one that governs all the rest. When it's destroyed in the real world he can just use its essence here to create another body. So long that part of him isn't harmed then he can never die. He'll just keep forming a new body of flesh and blood. _The girl blinked as she realized her boyfriend was for all practical purposes immortal. _But then I already knew that. _She silently mused. _If he can survive a nuclear explosion there's not much that can hurt him._

* * *

The world around her changed as the newly born shape shifter fled his Nevermore only to reappear again in the makeshift shelter with his mother screaming frantically over him.

"Mom?" The boy whispered. "What's wrong? Why're you crying?" Too exhausted to move he didn't try to move from where he was resting.

Raven studied him. His eyes were now fully the green she knew so well while his skin had taken on its new tone. _But that's just the outward changes. He's still being altered by whatever they gave him. And he's still in pain. _The girl silently stood beside the boy's mother and rested her hand on the woman's shoulder, knowing it was futile; it was just a dream in which she could only stand and watch. Within her she felt her emoticlones screaming with the need for action. _Quiet! _She commanded. _There's nothing we can do._

"Gar." Marie whispered. "Oh god. You're still with us." Holding him she sobbed.

"What's going on mom?" A shudder ran through the small boy's body. "It hurts." He whispered.

"Sssh. I know honey." His mother held him. "It'll get better soon." She promised.

Raven realized the woman's words were a lie as time passed in steps for her, and though soon in the nightmare it was the next day the boy was still in pain. It was then she recognized the same scene she'd seen before. The boy's heart stopped and the smell of burnt flesh filled her nostrils as his father tried to restart it with a car battery. Once again a grim reaper of souls appeared only to be thwarted as he was forced to follow his prey in that pocket-dimension the shape shifter held in his mind.

* * *

The violet-eyed girl follow him, and saw this time that the scene was different. Beast Boy ran from the hunter of souls, but with a purpose. The boy aimed directly for the sphere that held the first of his forms and became it. Turning, he faced his chaser who stood back in surprise.

_Not the same one. _Raven realized. _This one ... There's something about him that's different. He's more powerful. _The reapers she knew had seven ranks. The first one must've been the lowest while the new one was just a step above it. Having failed once the powers that be had sent a more fearsome hunter into the fray.

But those powers had failed to consider the determination of a boy whose only desire was to be with his parents. A desire that existed in a space where his power was near absolute. Once again the battle lasted a long time, but eventually even the new foe had to admitted defeat. The changeling had simply stolen its strength by touching it, enabling him to change into the more deadly supernatural form. With both now physical equal the boy's determination had won the day.

"Pretium solveretur." The demigod simply stated, staring at the boy who'd humbled it.

This time there was no exchange of a year for his life, as the changeling instead offered the form of the weaker grim reaper of souls as payment. It was a deal that the new demigod of death seemed only too willing to accept. It took but a second but where, during the course of battle, two dark forms had been trapped in glowing spheres there was now one.

'Our Beastie traded up.' Knowledge noted.

'Good for him.' Rage demonically agreed.

"Ya Beastie." Happy shouted in a voice that spoke of relief.

"Go Beastie.' Timid dared to add.

_Whew! _Raven sighed. She'd known her boyfriend would win, but watching the savagely brutal battle had been nerve-wracking. Neither side had been willing to give less than their all, and even at the speed they'd moved she'd been able to tell just how ruthless they'd fought each other. It'd been beyond anything physical flesh could've endured.

* * *

There were seven levels to the demigods of death, and as the next few days passed in the nightmare that was the number of times the boy died horribly, screaming in sheer agony. Each time he fought a more competent foe, only to steal its form and become its equal in physical power. Once he managed that the battle was always his. At the end of it all the form he commanded was not that of one of the lesser demigods of death but one of the seven who stood above all the rest.

_Might've been useful when we were facing Trigon. _The half-demon mused. _Oh well. Things turned out well._

* * *

"Happy Birthday Garfield." Marie told her restless son. "You're pretty much all better now." She smiled at him. "The change is complete and you're well enough to get up for a while. Want to go for a walk?"

The now green-skinned and green-eyed child nodded eagerly.

_Hrm. Wait. _Raven thought. _His birthday is the day we played that spin the bottle game. Wonder why he was so down that day? After the game I know, but why before?_

The violet-eyed girl had her question answered less than a minute later as there was the sound of howling outside and a silver metal spear hurled through the door of the makeshift shelter to pierce the boy's mother through the heart. Her eyes instantly glazed over as death took her. This time Raven could see the grim reaper of souls clearly, and there was no confusion on its face as it reaped the dead woman's soul.

"Mom?" The boy uttered the words in shock as her blood spilled over his face and ran down his throat to cover his chest. "Mom?" He whispered again, eyes wide.

_Run. _Raven wanted to scream, knowing it was useless.

Then the boy's father, one arm badly savaged raced into the room. Seeing his wife with the spear through her chest laying atop his unmoving, blood-covered son he froze. "Marie? Garfield?" The words were a barely whispered sob of heart-wrenching anguished. Then his eyes went blank too as another of the crude weapons ripped through his chest, leaving a gaping hole the girl could clearly see through for a split second before blood gushed out and the man collapsed.

Another one of the gorillas, one of the six the dazed girl could see, rushed into the small hut. Seeing the boy start to move another spear leapt from its hands to try to send the boy once again into the realm of the dead.

In the place that was his Nevermore there was no hesitation. The changeling took on the form of a God of Death and turned to face the six equals who'd come to claim him this time. In desperation to return to the real world to help his mother and father the devastated child knew no mercy as for the first time he was the one to start the battle that followed.

_He faces the other six Gods of Death; those who stand at the top. _Raven realized in panic as she gulped. Painfully, with her eyes burning from the blazing clashes of the Gods' weapons she watched.

In fury, giving his opponents no reprieve, the boy push his limits as he whirled the scythe in such a manner that it became an impenetrable barrier that protected him. Several times the girl watched the others try to get close only to have the deadly weapon slice through the darkness of which they were formed. Even they could be hurt by such power when wielded by another God; especially in this place where that being knew no physical limits. Whatever they were composed of wavered each time the fierce light of the boy's blade ripped through, and each time they drew back in pain and shock.

Driven by an insane, desperate fury the boy knew no bounds as he marched against them, causing panic in the six who'd thought themselves unopposable. Much sooner than in the other battles the fight ended. Five of the supernatural beings fled while the remaining one stepped back. "Pretium solveretur." It stated with shocked awe in its voice. Its dark eyes never left the child who didn't flinch.

_"_Anni vitae." The boy spat as like before he seemed to know the proper words. With his Nevermore empty of all but two shapes he had none to offer in exchange, which left him no choice but to give up another year of his life as a sacrifice.

The defeated God nodded and stepped backwards, disappearing. For a while the boy stared, and then he too vanished.

Silently, with her heart broken, Raven watched as back in the ravaged hut the one she loved more than life itself slowly tried to open his eyes. It took a while as first the sobbing child had to reach up and peel away the blood that had dried on his face, creating a gruesome mask. Able to see, the youngster called Beast Boy looked around at the brutally murdered bodies of the two people who'd been his world.

* * *

Raven's violet eyes flickered as the nightmare ended, and she awoke to find herself gazing into the green ones of her boyfriend who'd awakened at the same time.

"Wow." Was all she said.

"I've dreamed that nightmare each night for years now." The changeling replied. "But parts of it were always missing. I never saw those where I was in that place." He sighed. "So much power and it's denied me unless I'm dead. The animal shapes I can use as flesh and blood, but that form isn't flesh. Unless I'm a spirit like it is then I can't use it."

"You remember everything now?"

The boy nodded. "I think knowing you were along with the ride helped. I always knew I died that day too, but I guess maybe I was too afraid to face it. Losing my parents was bad enough.

"Sorry." The girl replied, reaching out to gently caress his face.

Beast Boy shrugged. "It was a long time ago, and I'll always know they loved me and I them. Even though they died while I was young they're the ones who made me who I am." The boy paused. "And I don't mean this." He pointed to his green skin. "I mean what is in here and here." He pointed to his heart and head. "They gave me the values by which I live, and I'll carry on their memory until the day I finally do die. Then, if I should happen to see them again I hope they're proud of me. Even gone they're a big part of my world."

"They will be." Raven assured him. "Kind and strong. Who wouldn't be proud of a son like you." The violet-eyed girl smiled. "I hope our children turn out just like you."

"Our children?" Beast Boy blinked.

"In time." The girl smiled. "I want at least three, or maybe four."

"That would be nice." The boy admitted. "Though I hope they turn out like you too. Strong and courageous."

'Now.' Timid whispered in the mind of the half-demon. 'Now.' For the first time in her existence the grey-clad emoticlone spoke in a demanding tone that couldn't be denied.

'Now.' Lust agreed in a demonic voice.

'Now.' The others chorused.

Raven leaned forward and kissed her boyfriend gently, yet passionately.

The boy looked back into her eyes and saw the need as well the readiness. He reached for her and drew her into his embrace.

* * *

End of Story.

Mostly Beast Boy and Raven this chapter. Sorry not much interaction with the team, or Robin and Starfire.

We've seen all three villains and they've been utterly and totally defeated.

On the wiki for Teen Titans the Logans were with a group of other people when Gorilla Grodd attacked. In this story I had them alone.

This is the last chapter. Beast Boy and Raven are pretty intimate now; in fact he's about to get very lucky. The answer as to what his first shape was has been answered along with how he can survive dying. Many thanks to those who read and reviewed. The comments certainly helped my motivation. :)


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